ALT DURING THE 
WORLD WAR 



SALVATORE A. COTILLC 




flass jL c )2.Q 

Book L 

Copyright N? 

CQEffilGIIT DEPOSIT. 



Ital>> During 4ie World War 




SALVATORE A. COTILLO 



ITALY DURING THE 
WORLD WAR 



BY 



SALVATORE A. COTILLO, LL. B., M. A. 

Member NevJ York State Senate, N«! York Bar Association 

Knight Commander of me Crown of Italy, Grand 

Ofjicer of me Crown of Italy, Etc 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 

GENERAL A. DIAZ 




The Christopher Publishing House 
Boston, U. S. A. 



.0 



Dj 



Copyright 1922 
By The Christopher Publishing House 




JUN 17 Ib22 

©CI.A6 746 2 6 



Dedication 

To the Heroes of the 
World War 



INTRODUCTION 

(Translation) 

The idea of a book meant primarily for Americans 
and which would gather the living description of the 
spirit and talk of Italy and her achievements during 
the war, was bound to appeal to and inspire the high 
mind of a man whose personality includes these two 
nations and who, having gone to Italy as an Ameri- 
can charged with the work of research and propagan- 
da, felt and understood as an Italian the essence of 
the events and of the men who were their exponents. 

Like all truths this book does not appear too late, 
for the light that has gradually pierced through the 
public consciousness finds in it a warm affirmation 
and, above all, a precise and eloquent documentation. 

A summary of its subject matter would do it but 
scant justice ; it must be read as it is, for nothing else 
could be effectively substituted for what is written in 
its pages and nothing can take the place of what is 
set forth in the last chapter ''Lest we forget." 

Italy is marching forth securely to her future, con- 
scious of having accomplished her full duty towards 
all, and proud of having again found in her people, 
those virtues which have always predestined her to 
be, in the world, a firm and steadfast element of civ- 
ilization. 

To Senator Cotillo the merit of his book, to the 
Americans and all other chosen minds the perusal of 
it, to the Italians the all-pure satisfaction of having 
been understood by a mind that has been able to so 
nobly comprehend and appreciate. 




/o.xir- "?2s 



INTRODUZIONE 

Un libro destinato essenzialmente agli Americani, 
e che raccoglie la viva descrizione dello spirito e 
del pensiero italiano e le opere dall'Italia compiute 
durante la guerra, ben meritava di inspirare la 
mente elevata di un uomo che le due Nazioni rac- 
coglie nella sua personalita' e che, recatosi in Italia 
come americano con incarieo di indagine e di pro- 
paganda, come italiano ha sentito e compreso l'es- 
senza degli avvenimenti e gli uomini che ne erano 
l'esponente. 

E, come tutte le verita', questo libro non giunge 
in ritardo, giacche' la luce che man mano si e' fatta 
nelle coscienze trova in esso una calda affermazione, 
e sopratutto una documentazione eloquente e pre- 
cisa. 

Un riassunto non raggiungerebbe lo scopo: bisog- 
na leggerlo, giac che' nulla puo' phi' efficacemente 
sostituirsi a quanto in quelle pagine e' scritto e 
nulla puo' far le veci di cio' che e' raccolto nelT 
ultimo capitolo, scritto "per non dimenticare." 

E 1 'Italia cammina sicura verso il Suo avvenire, 
nella coscienza di aver compiuto verso tutti ogni Suo 
dovere, nella fierezza di ritrovare nella sua gente 
quelle virtu' che l'han sempre destinata ad essere 
nel mondo soldo e costante elemento di civilta', 
umanita' e di progresso. 

Al Senatore Cotillo il merito del libro, agli Amer- 
icani ed a tutte le menti civili il meditarlo, agli Ital- 
iani la soddisfazione purissima di essere stati com- 
presi da uno spirito che ha saputo nobilmente 
intendere ed apprezzare. 




J0 .%u- *1U 



AUTHOR'S NOTE 

The purpose of this book is to give in a concrete 
way a vivid picture of Italy during the World War. 
It is hoped that through this narrative, which is 
based upon the author's personal observation and 
information which he gathered in part from inter- 
views with prominent men in England, France and 
Italy, a contribution may be made which will bring 
about a better and more sympathetic understanding 
between our two peoples. 

The writer endeavors to convey to the American 
readers something of the unusual sacrifices and 
hardships made not only by Italy's military popula- 
tion but also by her civilian population. He also 
hopes to convey the finer appreciation of Italy's 
character that those who were actually in the field 
gained. Italy's work of reconstruction is hard, and 
imposes severe austerity on the life of the Italian 
people, but these, with patriotic sentiments, are ac- 
cepting the sacrifices and the heavy taxations, being 
confident in the bright future of their country. No 
one who saw the whole Italian people rally to stif- 
fened resistance after Caporetto, and in less than one 
year, in the face of difficulties that seemed insuper- 
able, prepare the final glorious victory on the Piave, 
can but have confidence in the gradual and certain 
restoration of the financial order of the State and 
of the economic structure of the nation. 

The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebted- 
ness and extend his thanks to his friend, the late 
Professor Alessandro Oldrini, Comm. Francesco 
Quattrone, High Commissioner for Italy, whose in- 
formation regarding the needs of Italy was most 
helpful, to the Italian Bureau of Public Informa- 
tion for the use of some statistics, and to Mr. Agos- 
tino De Biasi of II Carroccio for the use of some of 
the illustrations. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

Dedication 5 

Introduction (Translation) 7 

Introduzione .. 9 

Author's Note _ _ 11 

List of Illustrations 15 

I. My Special Mission to Italy 17 

II. The American Red Cross in Italy .„ 33 

III. The Italian Soldier 44 

IV. The Italian Navy 60 

V. Italian Women During the War 74 

VI. Italy's Industrial Development During 

the War _ 82 

VII. Fiume — Its Industrial Status 107 

VIII. Dalmatia— Its Historical Status 114 

IX. Italy's Right to her Claims 120 

X. Italy's King „ 135 

XI. Italy's Needs 140 

Lest we Forget 150 

Appendix 153 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Photograph of Salvatore A. Cotillo ^Frontispiece 

Photograph of General A. Diaz ^Frontispiece 

Senator Cotillo Kepresenting America, July 4, 
1918, in Rome, Addressing Thousands in front 
of the Victor Emanuel Monument 26 

At Army Headquarters of General Diaz, at the 

Front ~ 30 

Devastated Region — San Dona di Piave — 38 

Some of the Valiant Soldiers of the Piave 44 

Aerian Cableway at 2000 Metres 46 

One of Italy's Many Mutilati 48 

Unloading of Munitions at 2800 Metres 50 

A Telephone Station at 2900 Metres 52 

The Alpini Soldiers in the Alps 54 

The Alpini „ 56 

Senator Cotillo with a Group of Tubercular Ital- 
ian Soldiers who had been Austrian Prisoners — 58 

Italian Sailors ~ 62 

Piercing Holes — 74 

Women making three inches (75MM) and two and 
one-half inches (65MM) cast iron shells 74 

In the Fitting Shop ... - 76 

The King, Italy's most Democratic and Best Be- 
loved Citizen ~ 134 



Italy During the World War 

CHAPTER I 

MY SPECIAL MISSION TO ITALY 

When I left America on May 18, 1918, to 
explain to the Italians the reason that im- 
pelled us to plunge into the Great War after 
three years of neutrality, my mind was en- 
grossed with many perplexing questions. 
Could we, in view of the German propa- 
ganda to the contrary, convince the Italians 
that we had joined the Allies, heart and 
soul, for the defense of democracy against 
barbarism; for the defense of the principles 
of nationalities; for the right of all nations 
to shape their own destinies'? Could we 
show the Italians that we were with them in 
the fight as much as we were with either 
France and England we, who until Capo- 
retto had thought of the war only in the 
terms of the Western Front, that is, "the 
French front," forgetting that Italy, a 
small nation by comparison with the other 
Allies, was waging a Titanic struggle over 
the most difficult terrain of this war? Had 
we not both forgotten the magnitude of 
Italy's task and also to the effect harbored 
slanders of unmistakable German origin 
that Italy was in the war for selfish reasons % 

The hydra-headed monster of German 
propaganda had spread its malignant influ- 
ence in all allied countries. In America, it 






18 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

had won a certain section of our public to 
the idea that Italy had sold herself to the 
highest bidder. In Italy, it had employed 
the same identical tactics. America, accord- 
ing to the German version of our war mo- 
tives, was a "kolossal" bluff, and the ulti- 
mate aim of America's bluff was America's 
own aggrandizement. With characteristic 
German psychology, German propagandists 
explained that America's idealism was a 
mask behind which lay America's lust for 
dollars and more dollars. 

Had I been sent to address the intellectu- 
als my mission would have been purposeless 
and vain. For it was the intellectual class 
that raised the hue and cry which resulted, 
first, in the declaration of war against Aus- 
tria, and then by the declaration of war 
against Germany. These intellectuals knew 
our motives and the causes that resulted in 
our entrance into the conflict; but the igno- 
rant masses, who knew of America only as 
the place " where wealth accumulates," 
where idealism is unknown, where nothing 
is attempted without counting the material 
reward, these masses, were they not easy 
prey for the German propagandists'? The 
spread of false and malicious remarks, our 
apparent slowness in getting started, our 
complete oblivion of Italy until Caporetto, 
these facts surely reacted unfavorably upon 
the minds of the people. They became skep- 
tical of our might and out of this skepticism 
grew a feeling of hopelessness which re- 
sulted ultimately in a general weakening. 

The ship on which I voyaged was a troop- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 19 

ship, carrying a contingent of Southern 
troops. Never have I seen a more deter- 
mined, athletic, soldierly looking body of 
men. Those boys made life cheerful on a 
trip that was always perilously near the end 
of things. Even when in the most danger- 
ous portion of the zone, they maintained 
their good spirits, and they fortunately 
transmitted them to all the other passengers 
aboard. They seemed always unafraid of 
the many dangers ahead. They were on 
their way to get over with a difficult job, 
and whether they went under while on the 
way, or in the performance, mattered little 
to them. I blessed those boys for the many 
peaceful hours which might, under differ- 
ent circumstances, have been restless, and 
I prayed that every one of them would re- 
turn unhurt. 

Arriving in London, I was impressed with 
its appearance. This made me at once re- 
alize the immensity of the great conflict into 
which we had been plunged. Every male of 
military age wore a uniform and the streets 
were filled constantly with the wounded and 
the permanently crippled. Camions and 
ambulances filled with the wounded drove 
through the streets in never-ending proces- 
sion. The dark, dismal nights filled with 
the fear of Boche air raids made peaceful 
repose impossible. But the people on the 
whole went about their accustomed work, 
apparently indifferent and unperturbed by 
what was going on around them. I must 
say, nevertheless, and this is based upon 
what I was able to gather from those in a 



20 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

position to know, that the morale of the 
English people was dangerously low as a 
result of the successes of the German army. 
But whatever may have been their attitude 
toward the outcome, they scarcely gave any 
visible sign of the feeling of apprehension 
which must surely have crept into their 
minds as a result of the German advances. 

What I have said of London was true of 
Paris, though the people of Paris had suf- 
fered more intensely than the English. 
Throughout the long, terrible days, when 
Paris seemed destined to fall into the hands 
of the Huns, throughout the horrors of the 
nightly air raids and the daily shelling by 
long range guns, their stoicism and faith 
never diminished. What anguish, what 
mental torture the French must have suf- 
fered, few only know. Unlike the English, 
the French women were permitted to wear 
mourning garb ; and few, if any, were with- 
out it. The maimed and the wounded were 
everywhere. Every step brought one face 
to face with the horrible deeds of the treach- 
erous Boche. 

While in Paris I held conferences with 
Generals Bliss and Pershing, relative to the 
despatching of American troops to Italy. I 
had become convinced after my talks with 
men lately returned from Italy that the 
best and most effective propaganda would 
be to send a body of our boys there. The 
Italians were apparently going through a 
period of patriotic regeneration since Cap- 
oretto, and nothing would have helped to 
spur it on than the presence of American 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 21 

troops. Both Generals were decidedly 
against the plan, because of the perilous 
situation confronting the Allies on the 
Western front; every man available was 
needed to help stave off the German thrust 
at Paris and let me say right here, that 
Paris was dangerously near capture during 
the days of June, 1918. Allied strategists 
had given up hope of saving her and plans 
were made for retreat. But events do not 
always follow as strategists insist they 
must: many times in history the indomi- 
table spirit of the private has refused to 
accept the cocksure opinion of the battle- 
planners, and the result has not infrequent- 
ly turned out as the private had hoped, 
fought and died for. 

I was greatly disappointed at the decision 
of General Pershing for all my plans had 
been based on the hope that troops would 
be sent. There was nothing to do, however, 
but to accept his decision. He did promise 
to send troops later, and he fulfilled this 
promise in July. Their arrival produced 
just the effect we had hoped it would. 

Before my departure for Rome, I had the 
good fortune to visit the Chateau-Thierry 
sector. That was at the time when Chateau- 
Thierry was held on the north by the Ger- 
mans and on the south by the Marines. 
With Captain Weeks of the Intelligence De- 
partment, Martin Green of the New York 
World, Arthur Ruhl of Collier's and Charles 
Selden of the New York Times, I motored 
to the Second Divisional Headquarters 
along a road that was jammed with refugees 



22 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

fleeing to Paris, ammunition trains, troops, 
guns, camions of every description and am- 
bulances carrying their wounded to the rear. 
The road from Meaux, called the gateway to 
Paris, was on both sides lined with shell- 
torn and devastated homes. We arrived at 
headquarters. A minor engagement was 
going on at the time. We heard the deafen- 
ing roar of the guns behind us and the whiz- 
zing sound of the enemy's shell hurtling 
above us. During the engagement a de- 
tachment of Marines brought in about 
three hundred Bodies and the thing about 
them that has remained most vivid in my 
memory was the look of relief upon their 
faces. They bore the unmistakable signs 
of having suffered severe hardships, and 
their air of weariness probably explained 
the expression of relief that they wore. I 
left Paris on the night of June 14th, and 
arrived in Rome on the 16th. The discom- 
forts of the hard travelling were more than 
compensated for by the wonderful Alpine 
scenery. Its beauty made one rejoice in- 
wardly, and momentarily forget the horrors 
of war. 

My arrival in Rome was marked by 
scenes that will live long in my memory. 
The Eternal City was resplendent with flags 
and decorations, in celebration of the won- 
derful victory achieved by the Italian army 
on the Piave and the people gave themselves 
up to wild rejoicings. 

On June 15th the Austrians launched a 
formidable attack all along the Piave and 
the Asiago plateau, their objective being to 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 23 

bring about a decisive defeat of Italy and 
render her helpless. Hurling her seventy 
divisions against fifty-five Italian and three 
Allied divisions, possessing a superiority in 
guns and material, as well as in position, she 
sought by the swiftness and intensity of her 
attack to overwhelm the Italians. But in- 
stead of overwhelming them Austria sus- 
tained defeat. Five days before the attack 
began, the Italian High Command, using 
the excellent system of espionage at its dis- 
posal, had knowledge of the date, the place 
of attack, and the number of troops to be 
used by the Austrians. Acting upon this 
information the Italians massed their troops 
at the expected point and began a violent 
bombardment of the Austrian lines five 
hours before the Austrian attack was to be- 
gin. This was followed by a massed attack, 
causing the Austrians to break ground and 
retreat. 

Thirty thousand Austrians were made 
prisoners, large quantities of booty were 
seized, and a considerable portion of the ter- 
ritory lost to the enemy during October was 
regained. In addition to these gains the 
greatest result of this, I might say, unex- 
pected victory was its effect not only upon 
the morale of the Italians, but upon the 
morale of all the Allied troops. We must 
admit that until these brave Italians made 
their heroic stand, the morale of all the Al- 
lies was at its lowest ebb. The victory, how- 
ever, instilled new hopes in the Allies and 
assured them of Italy's determination to 
stand firm. Before the battle, many grave 



24 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

doubts were uttered by Allied officials re- 
garding Italy's power to keep on fighting. 
Many thought that she could not withstand 
another attack, because of the demoraliza- 
tion of her troops : many said she was ready 
to make a separate peace. Her victory 
proved the contrary. 

Immediately upon my arrival at Rome, I 
consulted with Ambassador Page. I found 
him to be a man of deep sympathies, pos- 
sessing a broad vision, and a warm love for 
Italy. 

I delivered my first address to an audience 
of about 3,000, made up largely of Socialists. 
My subject was " America and the World 
War." I confined myself to an outline of 
America's motives in entering the war, her 
armies, her accomplishments during the 
war, the aid she was giving the Allies and 
her friendship for Italy. 

We had decided that Turin, a large indus- 
trial center and the home of the defeatists, 
would be the first large city for intensive 
propaganda. In August, 1917, a serious up- 
rising had occurred there, which was quelled 
only after a considerable number of men 
and women had been killed and thousands 
wounded. This disturbance was a result of 
the defeatist propaganda which was being 
spread among the people by pacifists, Social- 
ists and Germans. The scarcity of food was 
also one of the causes. The Government 
seized a large number of the men who had 
taken part in the uprising, drafted them in- 
to the service and sent them to the front 
where they mingled with the other men, 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 25 

spreading their socialist and defeatist prop- 
aganda. 

Reaching Turin, I spoke to large groups 
of workers in the various munitions facto- 
ries. Chief among these was the Fiat Fac- 
tory, which employed over 42,000 workers. 
These men and women left their tasks vol- 
untarily to listen to me. While I cannot 
say that I aroused great enthusiasm, for my 
audiences were as a rule cold and dispas- 
sionate, still I went away conscious that I 
had set them thinking, which after all was 
what I had set out to accomplish. 

But I addressed one gathering of about 
three thousand in Turin's largest theatre. 
The enthusiastic reception which they ac- 
corded me gave me great joy and even the 
applause which greeted my reference to 
America and to our soldiers was small in 
comparison to the outburst that acclaimed 
my narrative of America's accomplishment 
during the war. Never have I seen a group 
of people become so wrought up over the re- 
cital of mere facts, though this can be ex- 
plained by stating that whatever America 
did would in turn benefit Italy. Few of us 
can realize what America's entrance with 
her unlimited resources meant to those poor 
Italians. To the women, young and old, toil- 
ing in the munitions works or in the fields, 
producing the supplies to sustain their men 
at the front, to the aged and the infirm, the 
children and the sick who suffered at the 
hands of the raiding Huns, to the poor suf- 
fering for the want of food; to the agonized 
and wearied hearts of the mothers and wid- 



26 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

ows of those who had fought and died, 
America was truly the beacon light of hope 
and peace. 

Turin, as I have before stated, is a large 
industrial centre. The plants that I visited 
were equipped with best modern machinery. 
The organization and efficiency were all that 
could be expected and the methods used 
would equal our own. Italy, because of her 
lack of raw materials and capital, was for a 
long time the object of German commercial 
interest. It was this despotism that kept 
her from expanding, industrially and com- 
mercially, but the moment she broke loose 
from German industrial dominion she began 
to grow. It will not be long before Italy will 
be recognized not only as an agricultural 
country but also as one of the leading com- 
mercial powers. Her men are possessed of 
brains, initiative and ideas; and with the 
proper and disinterested financial backing 
she must surely expand. 

I returned to Rome, where I was one of 
the principal speakers at the Fourth of July 
celebration in honor of America. If one 
ever doubted the affections and sympathy 
of the Italians for America, all doubts would 
have been dispelled after witnessing the 
spontaneous, generous, and whole-hearted 
manner in which the Italians celebrated our 
day of independence. And what was tak- 
ing place in Rome was occurring all over 
Italy. 

Never have I witnessed denser and more 
enthusiastic crowds than those gathered be- 
fore the Victor Emmanuel monument in 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 27 

Rome and before the American Embassy to 
listen to Ex- Ambassador Page. The Victor 
Emmanuel monument is situated on the fa- 
mous Capital Hill fronting an immense 
square. The vast multitude occupied every 
available space. Everywhere floated the 
flags of our Allies and principally the Amer- 
ican flag. Every mention of America and 
President Wilson was the signal for tremen- 
dous applause. I delivered a short addresss 
which seemer to meet with general approba- 
tion. I was followed by Major Byrnes, of 
the American Red Cross and a member of 
our State Board of Regents, and Captain 
De Roody of the United States Marines, one 
of the heroes of Chateau-Thierry who had 
been dispatched to Rome with thirty-one of 
our wounded boys, all of Italian birth. I 
want to relate an incident which will give 
an illustration of the Italians ' feelings 
toward America and at the same time dem- 
onstrate the democratic spirit of the people. 
After the celebration was over, Mr. Moses, 
attached to the American Bureau of Infor- 
mation in Rome, who had charge of the Cap- 
tain and his party, discovered that two of 
the boys were missing. He finally located 
them in a cafe standing against the bar, an 
Italian General between, drinking as mer- 
rily as though one of them. 

After the ceremonies in the Square the 
whole mass moved to the American Em- 
bassy, preceded by a cortege made up of 
civic and military organizations. Mr. Page 
delivered a splendid address in Italian, 
which was received clamorously. 



28 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Leaving Rome, I travelled to Naples to 
begin my series of lectures through the 
southern provinces of Naples, Avellino, Sa- 
lerno, Catanzaro, Reggio, Messina, Palermo, 
and then through the northern provinces of 
Genoa, Perugia and Padua. I must say that 
the approach to Naples filled me with a 
tense excitement, for Naples is particularly 
dear to me, in that it was there I first saw 
the light of day. I was received at the sta- 
tion by the Mayor and other city officials, 
and escorted to the hotel. Though I had 
left the city when but a lad of six, somehow 
the place seemed familiar and unchanged. 

I delivered two speeches in Naples, one 
on July 14th, at the celebration in honor of 
the French Bastile Day, and the other on 
July 22nd at the celebration in honor of 
Belgium. The former took place in the 
large Piazza Plebiscita, before an audience 
of approximately 50,000. A delegation of 
numerous patriotic societies escorted me to 
the Piazza. Though the celebration was in 
honor of France, it really developed into a 
demonstration for America. The shouts 
and cheers were all for America, and when I 
arose to speak the crowds cheered for fully 
ten minutes. 

My second effort was in the San Carlo 
Opera House in Naples, one of the largest 
and most beautiful opera houses in the 
world. The immense auditorium was filled 
to capacity and on the stage were gathered 
all the city and government officials. I was 
the principal speaker and, as on the former 
occasion, the applause turned into an ex- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 29 

pression of sincere and generous affection 
for America. 

Naples, at the time of my arrival, was just 
recovering from an Austrian air raid which 
had caused considerable destruction. Up to 
the time of the raid, the people had been 
going about as during pre-war days with 
the jollity and festivity that are Naples' 
chief characteristics. 

Departing from Naples, I travelled 
through all the surrounding towns and vil- 
lages and addressed gatherings, generally in 
auditoriums, but sometimes from the top of 
an automobile. An intense interest and en- 
thusiasm was shown everywhere by all 
those whom I addressed. This was not only 
true of the province of Naples, but it was 
true also of every place visited in southern 
Italy. Here, more so than in Turin, my 
hearers were spell-bound by the narration 
of America's mighty achievements since 
her entrance into the war. 

It is customary to depict the Italian as 
highly emotional and more easily aroused 
by an appeal to his feelings than to his rea- 
son. That is true in part; but as a result of 
the awful reverse at Caporetto, the Italians 
had begun to doubt the result of the War. 
There were many who openly advocated a 
separate peace: many reasoned that it was 
futile to continue inasmuch as the Allies 
were not aiding, and as American help 
seemed far away. Rumors had been spread 
by German agents about the efficiency of 
the German submarines in preventing our 
soldiers from landing in France; of our un- 



30 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

preparedness, and of the difficulties we were 
experiencing in getting started as well as of 
dissension in our acts. All of these things 
naturally tended to discourage the Italians 
but they never really believed, as had been 
told them, that America was bluffing. They 
were merely surprised that we were not do- 
ing things in proportion to our resources. 
It all seemed inexplicable to them, who 
knew America and her capability so well. 
But when they were told about the things 
we were doing, the ships we were building, 
the troops that were arriving in France, the 
vast quantities of food and materials we 
were sending across, the guns, the aero- 
planes and other implements of war that 
were being produced in vast numbers, it 
reassured their faith in America in the vic- 
tory she was bringing to them. 

The thing that impressed me most of all 
was the sincere, unselfish love of the Ital- 
ians for America which they manifested on 
every occasion. I have no hesitancy in say- 
ing that no nation loves and worships Amer- 
ica more than does Italy. The gratitude of 
the people for the aid given by us is un- 
bounded and everywhere I went the name 
of America brought forth expressions of 
reverence and respect. 

I have on other occasions stated that 
there was never any need to stir up enthusi- 
asm for America. A deep sympathy for us 
always existed and I might say that fully 
nine-tenths of the population of southern 
Italy recognizes America as a second father- 
land. On another occasion I ran across an 




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ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 31 

Italian soldier who had spent a number of 
years in this country. During the course of 
our conversation he made several allusions 
to "his country' ': the man was not an Amer- 
ican citizen, so I took it for granted that 
he meant Italy. Imagine my surprise when 
I learned he meant America. I could go on 
and on relating innumerable instances of 
the Italians' love for our country. 

In September, 1918, I visited the Italian 
front in the company of Mr. Melville E. 
Stone of the Associated Press, and his Ex- 
cellency, Eomeo Gallenga, Under Secretary 
of State for Foreign Affairs. I marvelled at 
the tireless energy of the Italian soldiers 
along the mountains of the Asiago and the 
plains of the Upper Piave, as well as on the 
marshy ground near the mouth of the Piave. 
The feats of engineering which I witnessed 
were little short of miraculous. The rear 
lines teemed with activity; everywhere sol- 
diers were building bridges, digging tun- 
nels, laying telephone lines, repairing roads 
and, most remarkable of all, those telepheric 
lines which were the wonder of every visi- 
tor to the Italian front. 

During my visit I attended a luncheon 
given to us by General Diaz, Commander- 
in-chief. I was sincerely charmed by the 
General's even manner and fluency of ex- 
pression, his love for his soldiers, his great 
courage and self-confidence. It was at this 
luncheon that he expressed himself in the 
most glowing terms in praise of the Ameri- 
can soldier and of America's contribution 
to the Allies. From what the General had 



32 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

seen of the work of our boys in France and 
of the American boys under his command 
at the Italian front, he considered them the 
equal of any fighting men on any of the bat- 
tle-fronts. He had words of particular 
praise for the American soldier's quick 
adaptability and fine fighting qualities. 

If no attempt had been made by us to re- 
awaken and elevate the morale of the Ital- 
ians, which was shaken before and after the 
disastrous affair of Caporetto in October, 
1917, it is doubtful whether the Italians 
would have held together long enough to be 
able to withstand and defeat the Austrian 
blow of June, 1918. Our propaganda of en- 
lightenment brought victory to the Allies, 
as surely did the successes on the battle- 
fields. Our propaganda served not only to 
stiffen the morale of the Allied peoples but 
also to get the truth through to the people 
of Germany and Austria. The collapse of 
Germany was due not only to military de- 
feat, but also to the utter spiritual collapse 
that went on steadily behind the lines. It 
infested the civil populaion as well as the 
soldiers, for it must be remembered that, 
on the day the armistice was signed, Ger- 
many had two million men under arms, fully 
equipped and capable of conducting a de- 
fensive warfare indefinitely. 

I left Italy on September 22nd, 1918, full 
of admiration for the unusual contributions 
which the military as well as the civilian 
population of Italy was giving so freely. 



CHAPTER H. 

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN ITALY 

I would not consider any account of Italy 
during the war complete unless there were 
some mention of the admirable work per- 
formed by the American Red Cross in that 
country, under the direction of the able and 
efficient Colonel Robert P. Perkins. Apart 
from the general effectiveness of its relief 
work — its rehabilitation of the devastated 
regions, its care of the sick and destitute 
refugees, and its extensive work among the 
soldiers — the American Red Cross from the 
very beginning of its activity aided very 
successfully in creating a sentiment favor- 
able to America, particularly at a time when 
various influences were working to break 
down the morale of the people and destroy 
their faith in America. 

American Red Cross work in Italy com- 
menced in November, 1917, during the great 
offensive at the time of the Caporetto disas- 
ter. The need for both moral and material 
assistance from America at this time was 
urgent, though the help given was confined 
at this time mainly to hospital and ambu- 
lance service for the hard-pressed soldiers 
at the front and to the refugees from the 
Venetian plains. 

The temporary commission was made up 
from members of the Red Cross Commission 
for France. The permanent commission 
was appointed in the fall of 1917 and its 



34 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

members arrived in Rome during the latter 
part of December. During the months 
which followed, the work of the Red Cross 
extended to 142 cities and thousands of 
smaller villages from the Alps to Sicily, ac- 
cording to its report. It conducted its work 
through sixteen district organizations, em- 
bracing all of Italy and in charge of a dele- 
gate with a staff to develop its activities in 
accordance with local conditions and with 
the principles of the American Red Cross. 
The district centres were as follows: Avel- 
lino, Bari, Bologna, Taormina, Florence, 
Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Reggio, Ca- 
labria, Rimini, Sardinia, Padua and Venice. 
After the armistice, other Red Cross cen- 
tres were organized in the devastated terri- 
tory to meet the intense need of the stricken 
people of that region. 

Relief measures were designed to meet 
conditions directly created by the war, and 
were extended to the families of combatants 
and of refugees. They aimed at supporting 
the responsibility of the adult and at forti- 
fying the physical and moral well being of 
the child. It was my privilege to see many 
of these activities in a number of the large 
cities in Italy as well as in many of the 
smaller towns. 

I came in contact with the work in Turin 
during the time I was addressing large 
groups of workers in the various munitions 
factories. Institutions for the care of the 
children, which served the additional pur- 
pose of releasing the mothers for labor in 
the many war industries of Turin, seemed 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 35 

to be the chief concern of the American Red 
Cross in this centre. It conducted several 
"asili," or day nurseries, of its own and in 
co-operation with the "comitato feminile" 
aided a number of others. These "asili" 
opened at 6 :30 in the morning, half an hour 
before the work began in the factories, and 
closed at 7:30 in the evening, half an hour 
after the work was over. Other forms of 
aid were also given but this special type of 
activity seemed to be the chief need, as 
Turin was a large industrial centre during 
the war. 

My work next called me to Rome, where 
the Red Cross activities centering around 
the Roman district came under my personal 
observation. There were a number of " as- 
ili" maintained for the children of soldiers 
who were in a weakened condition, due to 
the lack of proper and sufficient nourish- 
ment. I spent several days in Umbria, 
where special work was being done in Spa- 
lato and Perugia for delicate boys. 

I then went to Naples where most of the 
Red Cross activities were housed at the 
Hotel Vittoria. In this hotel a refugee col- 
ony had been established after the Caporetto 
disaster, and it included over three hundred 
women, old men and children from the in- 
vaded provinces, who maintained their fam- 
ily groups and who, as rapidly as possible, 
were relocated in individual apartments. A 
day nursery, a school for young children and 
a work room for women engaged in making 
children's garments were located in the ho- 
tel building. A very large canteen for sol- 



36 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

diers at the station of Naples was also main- 
tained by the American Red Cross. 

From Naples I went through the prov- 
inces of Avellino, Salerno and Benevento. 
Here again Red Cross activities had been 
organized. There were soup kitchens, "as- 
ili" and work rooms. A school for the older 
children was started in Avellino to keep 
them off the street. To provide the neces- 
sary equipment, tables, benches, shelves and 
other needed articles, a small carpentry shop 
was started where old men, formerly idle, 
made needed articles, and at the same time 
taught their trade to the young boys. A 
small mattress factory served a similar pur- 
pose, providing much needed articles for the 
refugees, many of whom slept on straw all 
winter. There were a number of work 
rooms throughout these provinces. Some 
which I saw personally were at Avellino, 
Montella, Atripalda, Monteforte, Quadrella 
and Baiano. 

My next trip was considerably southward 
to Reggio, Calabria. Here, due to the local 
difficulties in obtaining supplies to meet the 
needs for nourishing food, particularly for 
the children, fourteen soup kitchens, serving 
about 15,000 food rations daily, were estab- 
lished in the towns of Villa San Giovanni, 
Reggio Cittanova, Gioiosa Superiore, and 
Gerace Marina. In different sections of this 
district there were a number of "asili" and 
work rooms. 

From Reggio , Calabria, I went to Pa- 
lermo, where I visited a number of Red 
Cross activities. Hotel Excelsior at Via 



ITALY DURIN© THE WORLD WAR 37 

Liberta was Red Cross headquarters. In 
this building there was an unusually attrac- 
tive work room with two hundred fifty 
women, all of them wives, sisters, or moth- 
ers of soldiers, employed in making gar- 
ments and shoes. A trade school for one 
hundred girls was also housed in this build- 
ing. The girls came in the morning at 9:30 
A. M. and were taught different types of 
lace-making, dressmaking, hand sewing and 
cutting until 11:00. Then from 11:00 until 
noon the children were divided into three 
groups and received instructions in gymnas- 
tics. At noon they received hot nourishing 
food. In the afternoon instruction was re- 
sumed. 

To meet the need for special care of 
sickly babies, a day nursery was established 
where one hundred thirty-two little ones, 
from one to five years, were nursed and 
nourished back to health. The building was 
near the sea and it had a shaded court which 
made it possible to keep the children in the 
open air in all weather. Children requiring 
medical attention were sent to a seashore 
hospital where the American Red Cross 
maintained a pavilion with thirty-two beds. 
The patients received much benefit from the 
sea air and sea bathing, at one of the most 
beautiful spots on the coast of Sicily. 

A milk centre was established in a very 
busy part of the city which served four hun- 
dred milk rations daily for the sick, under- 
nourished children. A number of "asili," 
some in Palermo and others in the suburbs, 
cared for over three thousand children. I 



38 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

spent a very memorable hour at the Villa 
D'Orlean, where two hundred boys re- 
ceived daily instruction. The beautiful 
grounds which surrounded the school were 
unusual in their beauty. The entire group 
of boys sang the Star Spangled Banner in 
Italian and a number of them were provided 
with American Flags. Six little boys, in 
turn, made pretty speeches of welcome, with 
some reference to America and the help it 
was giving. The children asked me to carry 
back to America a message of thanks for all 
that she was doing for Italy. 

Never shall I forget the very attractive 
open air canteen at the Station of Palermo, 
where meals were served to about five hun- 
dred soldiers daily. Here one lovely eve- 
ning in August, under the beautiful Italian 
sky, I addressed about six hundred soldiers 
who were on their way to the front. The 
canteen was most artistically arranged with 
palms, ferns and beautiful flowers of south- 
ern Italy, which had been given by some of 
the wealthy citizens of Palermo. The Gen- 
eral and his staff were present, as well as 
the charming Italian ladies of Palermo who, 
with the Red Cross workers, served at the 
canteen. From time to time, the military 
band hidden behind the palms played mar- 
tial music making the picture unique in its 
loveliness. The spirit of the soldiers was 
most marked; it was full of patriotism and 
determination to bring about victory. 

After the armistice the Red Cross brought 
unusual relief to those who had suffered so 
keenly in the devastated regions. I shall 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 39 

describe a little in detail the work which was 
done in the Lower Piave as I am better ac- 
quainted with it. However, work similar to 
this was carried on in all that wasted terri- 
tory which had known such fierce warfare 
during the great conflict. 

Those who were acquainted with the Ven- 
eto know that the rich fertility of the soil, 
and the unusual agricultural industry in this 
section was most marked before the war. 
For this reason, as you gazed upon the al- 
most hopeless devastation of the fields, it 
required much courage, faith and imagina- 
tion to believe that this devastation could 
be ever returned to a healthful, normal and 
productive state. The American Red Cross 
work in this section was organized in Janu- 
ary, 1918. Headquarters for the Lower 
Piave were established at San Dona di 
Piave, a commune which bore the marked 
evidence of fierce warfare with its shell-torn 
roads, fields, trenches, and with ruined or- 
chards and houses, here and there, with its 
heaps of ruins everywhere. 

At Calvecchio, a small town of the com- 
mune of San Dona, was located the tempo- 
rary municipio, where the Commissario 
Prefettizio lived with his assistant, a profes- 
sor of law at the University of Padua, to- 
gether with a monsignor, two other priests 
and an Italian officer. The house was in 
partial ruins but in a fair state of preserva- 
tion, due to the fact that during the war it 
had been the headquarters of the Supreme 
Command of the Austrian Army of the 
Piave. 



40 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

In a conversation with one of the Red 

Cross workers, she told me that she would 
never forget either the hospitality of these 
people or their appreciation for the help 
given them. The Red Cross first made a sur- 
vey of the needs of San Dona. The hospital 
was in dreadful ruins, arrangements were 
made at once to have barracks established to 
be used as a hospital in order to meet the 
requirements of the sick and the wounded. 
Very often people, mostly women and chil- 
dren, were brought to the Red Cross work- 
ers, all torn from explosives, having met 
with tragic accidents in the fields where 
there were still hand grenades and other 
deadly war weapons. Later, this was some- 
what remedied as the army selected a group 
of soldiers who understood these explosives 
and were able to gather them and to dispose 
of them in a way which caused no harm to 
the people. 

At Calvecchia, too, a house in partial ruins 
was found which was occupied by the nuns. 
With the help of the military and municipal 
authorities, arrangements were made to 
have this building repaired for Red Cross 
activities. In a few days, a kitchen was 
built which served hot soup. A milk centre 
was next established: in this hundreds of 
milk and food portions were served daily. 
A school for two hundred children was 
opened and the necessary clothing for these 
almost naked and undernourished little ones 
was provided. 

These youngsters came either from Cal- 
vecchia, or from the adjoining towns. They 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 41 

were served hot soup at noon and at 3 P. M. 
received hot milk and biscuits. It was hard 
to believe that the school was in the midst 
of such devastation as you looked upon the 
children, clothed by the American Red 
Cross, in cleaned whitewashed rooms whose 
walls were decorated with instructive col- 
ored charts; notwithstanding that the build- 
ing had been remade mostly from Red Cross 
packing boxes. 

The next activity established was a work 
room where a number of women worked 
daily, receiving weekly wages and hot nour- 
ishing lunches at noon. Pillows, mattresses, 
sheets and clothing were made here, and ar- 
ticles which had been sent from America 
were remade so that they might meet local 
needs. Other activities in Calvecchia were 
clothing, blanket and nourishing food distri- 
bution. After the work in Calvecchia was 
organized the nuns were taught to carry it 
on. 

San Dona di Piave was the centre which 
was next started. Here, in addition to the 
hospital barracks with one hundred beds 
and all necessary equipment for the proper 
functioning of the hospital, the Red Cross 
also gave the food stuffs and necessary 
equipment for an orphan asylum to care for 
one hundred orphans. A soup kitchen as 
well as a milk centre was also established. 
The Red Cross workers lived in the former 
city hospital, which was in ruins. The 
wings and additions were all gone and it 
was an open place for the windows were all 
out and the framework was in such ruins 



42 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

that all had to be made over. A few rooms 
were fixed up for temporary use while the 
rest of the building was being torn down 
and piles of ruins carted away. Parts of the 
corridor remained which indicated the im- 
mense proportions the place once had. 

Activities were next started at the Com- 
mune of Noventa, which was in an almost 
helpless state of devastation. It was soon 
discovered that aside from the great physi- 
cal needs of the people there was an unusual 
necessity to give them courage as they 
seemed indeed abandoned. There was no 
one in the commune representing the civil 
authorities, and the Red Cross helped to re- 
organize the municipal life. It established 
soup kitchens, milk centres and the school 
in the midst of ruins and impossible sur- 
roundings. 

Throughout this section of the Lower 
Piave the Red Cross aided about 40,000 peo- 
ple within three months not only with food, 
milk and schools, but also with blankets, 
clothing, shoes and other necessities. In 
connection with all its work, the Red Cross 
used as much labor and material as possible 
from the place itself, and trained many of 
the people from the different communes to 
carry on their established activities. 

The difficulties under which the work was 
carried on cannot be adequately related. 
These were due at times to the absolute lack 
of essentials which were needed in order to 
start the activities contemplated and crea- 
tion and substitution had to be devised in 
order to accomplish the task. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 43 

The patience and long suffering of the 
Italians was marked, as well as the love 
which they bore to their towns. Although 
home to them was only a heap of ruins un- 
der the cold Alpine skies of winter, and the 
ground only icy water, as in January, 1919, 
when the Piave River overflowed, they were 
eager to return to their own "paese" which 
they loved so dearly and which they hoped 
to restore to a healthful, productive state as 
soon as possible. 



CHAPTER m. 

THE ITALIAN SOLDIER 

My recent mission to Italy did not 
concern itself with the Italian soldiers: 
nevertheless, I may say that, in spite of the 
casualness of my observation, certain quali- 
ties and traits which they possessed im- 
pressed me with an extraordinary force and 
compelled me to think with undepressed ad- 
miration about these champions of freedom, 
so often misunderstood and misrepresented. 

First and foremost, I must mention the 
Italian soldier's amazing capacity for endur- 
ing hardship. In my trip through Italy, 
when I saw the difficulties the soldiers had 
to contend with and the scarcity of the 
means at their disposal, I could not help but 
recognize that through all the distance, 
changes and foreign admixtures of two 
thousand years, the olive-grey clad soldier 
of Italy is today in point of endurance a true 
and genuine descendant of the tunic-clad 
soldier of ancient Rome. Virgil, in describ- 
ing the Trojan forefathers of Rome, ascribed 
to them the qualities of the Romans of his 
day: the companions of Aeneas were men of 
much endurance, acquainted with suffering 
and sacrifice ; Cicero and other Latin writers 
also mention as worthy of admiration the 
Roman campaigner's ability to stand the 
rigors of extreme climates and to do without 
the three most primary needs for physical 
well-being, food, drink, and sleep. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 45 

These qualities are characteristic as much 
of the Italian soldier of today as they were 
of the Roman soldier of two thousand years 
ago. With small rations, with insufficient 
equipment, with means ridiculously dispro- 
portionate to their needs, the Italians held 
on to the snow-clad mountain fortresses of 
the Northern front, where the only means of 
communication to the bases in the rear are 
aerial swaying cable lines, which join peak 
to peak and span dizzy chasms which 
swim under the eyes thousands of feet be- 
low. With never a murmur, with a disre- 
gard for physical comfort not paralleled in 
any other army, the Italian soldier fought, 
bled and died for three long years, clinging 
to the dusty, sun-baked, waterless slopes of 
the inhospitable Carso. 

The fighting done by the Italian soldier in 
the war has been of a truly epic character. 
He has fought on with a fortitude and brav- 
ery seldom found in great masses of men. 
Just before Caporetto, particularly, the suf- 
fering of the soldiers became almost unen- 
durable. Oftentimes their meals were a few 
nuts and a bit of bread. Yet, that was good 
enough for them: what distressed them was 
the news from back home where whole com- 
munities were without bread for weeks at a 
stretch. The soldiers' wives and children 
were suffering and the men were not al- 
lowed a leave of absence every four months 
to visit their families, as with the French. 
They had only a leave of ten days' absence 
once a year. Could it be that they were pur- 
posely kept from going home % 



46 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Under these conditions the Austrians 
made proffers of peace ; or, as they called it, 
''fraternization." Italian newspapers of 
unmistakable pro-German leanings were 
counterfeited by the Austrians and these 
forgeries were circulated among the Italian 
soldiers, with the pretended news that Brit- 
ish and French soldiers were massacring 
the people of the Italian cities who clamored 
for bread. Then suddenly, overnight, Ger- 
man soldiers took the place of the Austrians 
who had been " fraternizing' ' with the Ital- 
ians and they were overpowered. Lack of 
military foresight in failing to establish a 
possible line of retreat created additional 
losses. Vast forces had to retreat and in 
haste. The losses in men and, especially, in 
guns and supplies, were staggering; for 
Italy lacked the great reserve of guns and 
supplies enjoyed by England and France. 

No other nation that fought on the side of 
democracy had so many or so varied vexa- 
tions. With patience, wisdom, fortitude and 
unwearied effort she overcame them all. 
We ought not to think all the victories are 
won with rifles in hand or that the only tac- 
tics that count are those of the battlefield. 
The Italian armies fought with magnificent 
courage, but all of the exploits of the army 
together were but the reflexes of the na- 
tional will which, finding itself confronted 
with these disheartening obstacles, bent it- 
self inflexibly to what it saw was the Italian 
task and duty. 

Italy, a nation of 36,000,000 inhabitants, 
mobilized 4,500,000 soldiers. She made sac- 




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ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 47 

rifices and provided their equipment; with 
still greater sacrifices and in spite of all the 
coal troubles she got the shells for them to 
fight with. She held her own front, doing 
such fighting as was never seen before on 
this earth, carrying on war in the snows of 
the mountain peaks and through choked-up 
passes. So long as she had material and 
support, she advanced into Austria. She 
furnished 450,000 of her troops for the Mace- 
donian and Albanian fronts, 250,000 for the 
French front, 60,000 for the Palestine front, 
200,000 for Libya and Erythrea, and contin- 
gents for Northern Russia and Siberia. 

She created, organized and operated great 
munition works — in spite of the coal short- 
age. She met the food shortage largely by 
volunteer effort and by the wonderful work 
of her great co-operative societies. She cre- 
ated an air-service the admiration of all 
experts. She organized and equipped a 
complete sanitary service. She met the 
shortage of tonnage by organizing in one 
year new shipping companies with a capital 
of 226,000,000 lire, by increasing in the sum 
of 264,000,000 lire the capital of existing 
ship companies, and by organizing and 
equipping nine new shipbuilding plants with 
a capital of 55,000,000 lire; and this without 
Government assistance. All the existing 
shipyards enlarged their facilities and in- 
creased their capital — one of them by 50,- 
000,000 lire. She met the shortage of chem- 
icals arising from the break with Germany, 
by building her own chemical works. She 



48 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

developed waterpower to take the place of 
coal. 

Her soldiers in Albania, Macedonia and 
France, as well as on the Alpine sum- 
mits, performed their feats of daring. On 
the Western front they were repeatedly 
thanked and decorated by the French com- 
mand. It was Italian divisions that saved 
Eheims in the dark days of May, 1918. Ital- 
ian troops, although but little noticed in our 
press reports, had conspicuous share in the 
great Allied advance that began July 18. 
and never paused for months as Foch struck 
blow on blow upon the reeling German lines. 
At home, the Italian main army, recoiling 
from the Austrian offensive of May, 1916, 
drove the enemy out of Italy and advanced 
so far into Austrian territory that you 
might say Vienna itself was in sight, for 
there was nothing between the Italians and 
Austrian capital but a single Austrian line 
due to the Italian shell shortage. For many 
months, when the Russian collapse had re- 
leased an Austrian army of overwhelming 
strength, the Italians hung like a bulldog to 
their defenses and kept the Austrians from 
the Venetian plains and a deadly rearward 
blow at France. 

With an acute shortage of food through- 
out the kingdom, with an army greatly di- 
minished in numbers and the extreme 
difficulty caused by the enemy's seizure of 
a large percentage of their weapons, the 
Italian soldier, nevertheless, held firm 
against an enemy enriched by these cap- 
tures, superior in numbers and flushed with 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 49 

victory. The fact that, in spite of these ter- 
rible handicaps, the men of Italy by desper- 
ate valor were able to stop the barbarian 
onslaught in the Fall of 1917, and thereby 
save the Allied cause, is a page of imperish- 
able glory added to a history of Italian arms 
already luminous. 

The cause of the free people of the earth 
never hung by such a fine thread as during 
the days of the second half of October, 1917. 
What was it that saved the world during 
those critical days? It was the power of 
self-sacrifice to the uttermost of whole reg- 
iments of Italy's sons. The twice famous 
Piave bears witness to this fact. With a 
blind fury, a heroism arising out of their 
painful consciousness of the critical situa- 
tion, Italy's manhood stood firm at the 
Piave after the disastrous retreat from Cap- 
ore tto and the best of Italy's cavalry regi- 
ments rushed upon the enemy to certain 
death in order to stay his advance. With 
hardly anything but their naked bayonets, 
a brigade of bersaglieri annihilated or cap- 
tured an entire brigade that had set foot 
across the Piave. With a human wall of 
sheer devotion and heroism they held their 
lines. 

It has been said that this checking of the 
Caporetto rout, for rout it was, was a mira- 
cle. If by a miracle we mean the turning of 
an irresistible tide by forces entirely outside 
the realms of the physical, coming from the 
inmost recesses of a people's soul, then the 
resistance at the Piave was a miracle, just 
as the Battle of the Marne was a miracle. 



50 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

But the two wonders had this difference, the 
Germans at the Marne were being threat- 
ened by an invasion of northern Prussia, 
while at the Piave, the Germans, far from 
suffering any threat against their northern 
frontiers, were safely installed at Riga. 

The first battle of the Piave was one of 
the great military marvels of the war. The 
Italian Army, utterly defeated, with nearly 
all its artillery and ammunition abandoned, 
its transportation destroyed, its morale ut- 
terly shaken, with stories of treachery being- 
spread broadcast by its enemies — this army, 
almost literally bareheaded and sometimes 
fighting knee-deep in snow, stopped and 
held the Austro-German army. It was at 
this point that the historic phrase, "di qui 
non si passa," was coined. " Monte Grap- 
pa 7 ' is to the Italian what " Verdun" is to 
the French. That the Italians fought hard 
is proven by the fact that their losses the 
first day were 29,000 killed and wounded, 
while for a month and a half their daily 
losses ran from 9,000 to 12,000. 

It has also been suggested that the Piave 
line was held by reason of Franco-British 
reinforcements that came to the aid of Italy. 
Far be it from me to depreciate the aid 
given by England and France at that time, 
but the truth is that these reinforcements 
arrived when the tide had already been 
stemmed. The Franco-British reinforce- 
ments no doubt helped to relieve the tension, 
but when they reached the front the stabil- 
ization of the" Piave line had already taken 
place. 




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ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 51 

Let me say emphatically that the drive 
was checked on the line of the Piave, Monte 
Grappa and the Asiago, entirely by the Ital- 
ians before a single French or British sol- 
dier arrived in Italy. The 100,000 French 
who were sent to Italy's aid were stationed, 
on their arrival, at Padova, behind the Ital- 
ian lines. This was quite proper, as at that 
time no one knew how far the enemy propa- 
ganda had succeeded in disorganizing the 
Italian armies, or if, and where, another 
collapse would take place. The French and 
British were held in reserve to be thrown 
into the line in case weakness developed at 
any point. Such weakness did not develop 
and the battle was over in the middle of De- 
cember when seven feet of snow in the 
mountains made further fighting impossible. 
Later, the British and French troops took 
their positions in the line to relieve ex- 
hausted Italians. 

The acts of valor which immortalized the 
Piave, both in October of 1917 and in June 
of 1918, would fill volumes. In October, 
1917, as the Italians were nearing the Piave, 
a battalion became separated from its regi- 
ment. It was isolated and encircled by 
overwhelmingly superior forces. As long 
as ammunition lasted the battalion held its 
ground to a man. When their ammunition 
was exhausted the men still held grimly, 
knowing that unless help came from some 
source they must surrender or die. They 
preferred to die. Just then, a man pre- 
sented himself to the commanding officer of 
the battalion and, with tears in his eyes, 



52 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

begged to be permitted to attempt alone to 
nm the gauntlet of the enemy's lines in an 
effort to reach the rest of the regiment and 
summon help. This volunteer was strapped 
to a horse's belly and sent through the lines. 
He succeeded but when reinforcements 
finally came it was too late. A small rem- 
nant of the battalion had cut a passage 
through the foe but the bulk of the battal- 
ion, including its commander, lay dead on 
the field of honor. 

During the second battle of the Piave, the 
enemy had succeeded in reaching the Ital- 
ian lines. The Austrians occupied part of 
the railroad leading from Montello to Tre- 
viso, the northern and southern ends re- 
maining in Italian hands. After the middle 
portion of the railroad had passed into Aus- 
trian control a message from the Italian 
forces holding the extreme end of the Mon- 
tello reached headquarters; their ammuni- 
tion was running low whereas success 
depended upon the unceasing fire of the bat- 
teries at the end of the lines. What was to 
be done? The only means of sending am- 
munition quickly and in sufficient quantity 
was the railway line itself. Part of it was 
occupied by the enemy. 

General Fadini, commanding the artil- 
lery, at once ordered a train to be got ready, 
while meantime battle-planes were ordered 
to fly over the line to observe if it was still 
intact. The aviators reported that they 
could see no obstruction. At once a single 
locomotive was rushed off helter-skelter, 
escorted by battle and bombing planes. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 63 

After a giddy race it reached Montebelluna 
safely and wore] was sent back by telephone 
that the line was still practicable. A large 
convoy Of forty cars, Loaded with ammuni- 
tion and bristling with machine guns, was 
then sent headlong towards the enemy. It 
burst through the Austrian lines, spreading 
death in its passage. The fire From all kinds 
of (memy guns, a single hit from which 
would have sufficed to explode the entire 
train, was directed upon it all in vain. The 
convoy reached the exhausted batteries, the 
Italian cannon belched forth fire and de- 
struction with renewed vigor, and the day 
was won. 

General Sante Ceccherini, commanding 
the Third Brigade of Bersaglieri, is a hero 
in the fullest sense of the word. He has 
been decorated five times with the military 
medal; he has been awarded the Italian, 
French, English and Serbian war-cross; he 
is a cavalier of the Crown of Italy and num- 
bers five campaigns to his credit. During 
the early days of June, 1916, he commanded, 
on the San Michel, two battalions of cyclist 
bersaglieri. At that time he was a Lieuten- 
ant Colonel. Having reached the top of the 
mountain, he saw about him but 150 men 
and five officers out of the 900 m(tn and eigh- 
teen officers with whom he started the at- 
tack. Two Austrian brigades surrounded 
him — 12,000 men. Erect on the edge of the 
trench, encouraging and setting an example 
to his men, smiling in the midst of the hell- 
ish artillery, musketrv and machine-gun 
fire, he quietly smoked his strong-smelling 



54 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

pipe, "the Colonel's gurgly old stem," as his 
men called it. Realizing- that the position 
was untenable he would not surrender he 
gathered his men about him and hacked a 
way through the surrounding foe with flash- 
ing bayonets. 

Enrico Toli was another bersaglieri hero. 
This young Roman had lost his leg as a 
youth, but by prodigious strength and spirit 
he so far overcame his handicap that his 
feats as cyclist, globe-trotter, and swimmer 
were epic. At the beginning of the war, he 
succeeded in convincing the army officials 
that he could take a soldier's part. With 
his bicycle he kept up with the best of them, 
and his crutch became a formidable weapon. 
His invincible spirits made him a leader. 
During an attack he rushed to the attack 
mortally wounded but undaunted he reached 
the Austrian trenches. He fell but rose 
again, and with a supreme gesture of con- 
tempt hurled his crutch after the fleeing 
enemy, shouting "Viva L^talia" as he fell 
back, dead, into the trench. 

Lieutenant Franz Frischietti was four- 
teen years old at the beginning of the war — 
too young for service. With the aid of a birth 
certificate belongine: to an older brother who 
had died as a child and would then have 
been seventeen years old, managed to en- 
list. Possessing physical strength far be- 
yond his years he had no difficulty so far as 
personal appearance was concerned. He 
always conducted himself well and by his 
gallantry attained the grade of first lieuten- 
ant. When his class was called to the colors 




z 



q 

o 



z 

- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 55 

— the class of 1900 — he had to reveal his 
identity, for he had been listed as a deserter, 
although he had been fighting for over three 
years. He fell fighting at the head of a com- 
pany of shock troops. 

Lieutenant Tozzolino had his right hand 
paralyzed by a wound, but he stayed at the 
front for the purpose of propaganda. Dur- 
ing the Battle of the Piave, he managed to 
reach a battalion which was conducting an 
attack against the enemy. The Major in 
command being killed, the men showed 
signs of indecision, beginning to retreat. 
Lieutenant Tozzolino placed himself at their 
head, led them back to the attack and recon- 
quered the position. 

Sergeant Crespi of the 16th Bersaglieri, 
having played a brilliant part in the capture 
of a difficult mountain position, ran out re- 
peatedly, braving murderous fire of enemy 
machine guns one hundred meters away, 
leaping over chasms and ravines, in order to 
bring back to safety five wounded comrades. 

The warfare which was waged in the Alps 
is full of deeds of heroism similar to those 
which I have mentioned. Here the Alpini 
fought at altitudes ranging from seven to 
ten thousand feet, having fought the moun- 
tains and the elements as fiercely and pa- 
tiently as they fought the Austrians. Snow- 
storms were frequent and the cold was 
intense. The ascents would have puzzled all 
but experienced Alpinists who knew how to 
crawl up walls like flies, clinging to every 
crack with finger tips, wriggling up sheer 



66 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

smooth faces of rock with never a nook or 
cranny for a foothold, jerkins;' a rope over 
some distant crag and climbing up to it with 
true Simian agility, regardless of bottom- 
loss pits below. 1 often marvelled over the 
exploits o\' Alpine acrobats who concmer in- 
credible cliffs for sport, but these Italian 
soldiers were hindered with heavy packs, 
guns, picks, telephone wires and other im- 
pediments that would worry them even on 
the flat. And they were exposed \o the ene- 
my's fire all the way up; while at the sum- 
mit they found no sort of cover against an 
immediate bombardment. 

They had not a moment's respite after the 
superhuman climb. With shells bursting 
about their ears, they instantly seized their 
axes and turned the scanty mountain vege- 
tation into huts or slender shelters, wrest- 
ling with rocks if there were any chance of 
forming some apology for trenches. In rare 
intervals of leisure, still under tierce tire, 
they could be seen hacking down trees and 
flinging them to distant torrents to be pol- 
ished against stones and turned into furni- 
ture, field hospitals and crosses for soldiers' 
graves. 

The Italians admit no rivalry in the art. of 
Alpine warfare. Look at the giant rocks, 
look as long as you like through your tele- 
scope, and you will discern naught but crags 
and snow, not a crack till you crawl along a 
little path over the abyss and come sudden- 
ly upon the entrance to a tunnel. It is just 
an open doorway, and all is darkness within. 
Grope your way, a long, long way; and there 




THE ALPINJ 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 67 

are glimmers of light down cross corridors 
to right or left; at last you come to a little 
window which reveals the enemy's positions 
on the mountains opposite. The loopholes 
are only just large enough to admit of tak- 
ing aim, and the gunners are far safer than 
in any fortress. At the back is a whole sys- 
tem of covered passages and trenches of 
communications with deep galleries for ar- 
tillery. 

First there was a long period of silent 
preparation. The Austrians were lulled in- 
to a sense of false security. Then came a 
violent attack with much hand to hand fight- 
ing on the rocky chains. Men hurled one 
another down precipices or dived headlong 
in frantic embraces. The Austrians were 
driven further and further up the hills. At 
last they were exterminated or taken pris- 
oner, for when an Italian soldier attacks a 
mountain, he sticks to it with bull-dog tena- 
city and never leaves it until it is his. No 
labor is too arduous for him, no peak inac- 
cessible. When there is no other way, he 
will devote months to constructing broad, 
smooth, Napoleonic roads right up the high 
mountains, replacing the roughest mule- 
paths. You may see one of thirty miles to 
an outpost 7,475 feet above the sea, an ar- 
moured road with parapets behind which 
an army can ascend in safety. The peaceful 
Alps now retain a wonderful network of 
roads as their inheritance, and the redeemed 
provinces may have reason to bless their 
conquerors. 

On the Carso the struggle was perhaps 



58 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

even harder than that on the mountains, 
new positions conquered had to be defended 
with trenches, the excavation of which, in 
any depth, was sorely impeded by the stony 
soil of this region. For the Carso was 
scourged by slashing rain, frozen by the 
northern piercing winds that blew across 
the Adriatic. The second lines encountered 
further difficulties owing to the nature of 
the ground which was entirely open to the 
enemy's sight and fire. The only protec- 
tions possible were found in sundry large 
hollows called "doline," in which excava- 
tion was possible for some shelter. 

These conditions of defense were entrust- 
ed to the brave ever-watchful troops who on 
the Carso stood gallantly to their posts, liv- 
ing in all but frozen pools. The soldiers 
struggled ceaselessly with snow and mist 
and frost, with never a ray of sun. And be- 
hind the first lines other troops were not less 
busy in ceaseless labour. The maintenance 
of such huge forces was indeed grave, and 
cruel daily hardships told their tale; many 
thousands were invalided every month and 
the Italian army suffered through these loss- 
es, just as much as if it had gone through a 
great offensive — which, in fact, it was, an 
offensive against the elements. 

In February, 1916, the enemy troops were 
intensely combative east of Gorizia, striving 
to regain the positions they had lost. But 
their activity was more than outweighed by 
successful counter attacks which were made 
by the Italians on the Carso and on the high- 
lands of Costabella near the Monte Marmo- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 59 

lada. All new positions conquered by the 
Italians in 1916 were held, and from the 
highest peaks to the marshlands south of 
Monfalcone a formidable activity was main- 
tained. 

Italy's sacrifices have been staggering. 
From the beginning of the war Italy called 
to arms little less than five and a half mil- 
lion of men. The triumphant result of her 
fighting was achieved at the cost of these 
terrible losses: 460,000 killed in action; 
947,000 wounded, 568,500 permanently dis- 
abled through the loss of hands, arms or 
legs; and 1500 totally blind. Her total cas- 
ualties were 1,977,000. 

In three years of war, in furious offensives 
on the Isonzo, on the Alps, or on the Piave, 
in continuous obstinate hand-to-hand com- 
bats all along the chain of forbiddingly rug- 
ged mountains, thousands from the enemy 
were captured. Of this obscure warfare, 
fought without respite by the Italian army, 
not only against men, but also against the 
elements and the difficulties encountered in 
the nature of the ground, a part of the sol- 
diers' task was the laying out of 1500 kilo- 
meters of telephonic cable and 3,500 kilo- 
meters of traffic road across the impervious 
chain of mountains. 

The painful intensity of the sacrifices and 
the supreme military* effort of the Italian 
army were unusual. The opportunity to 
prove our understanding to Italy should not 
be lost, especially now when that heroic 
country is bravely striving to recover from 
the terrible disaster of war and invasion. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE ITALIAN NAVY 

In regard to the modern Italian Navy and 
its makers we are told that long before 
Great Britain possessed an official Royal 
Navy, Italian Shipbuilders were world re- 
nowned, and that when Henry V 111 began 
to lay the foundations of the British Navy, 
as we now know it, he invited the Italian 
ship constructors to England to give him 
the benefit of their experience and advice. 

The Italian naval constructors were also 
among the first to adopt the new device of 
armor more than sixty years ago. They 
have ever since been in the fore-front and in 
many cases, indeed, actual pioneers in the 
matter of design. 

Benedetto Brin and Colonel Cnniberti are, 
perhaps, the two most eminent figures of 
the distinguished school of naval architects, 
which has brought the modern Navy to its 
present strength. Under the guidance of 
those two original thinkers, Italian naval 
construction has always maintained, in spite 
of financial difficulties and shortage of coal 
and iron, an extremelv high standard as to 
both workmanship and design. 

Tn the matter of the combination of heavy 
armament with great speed. Italy may be 
said to have been almost the first in the field. 
As long ago as 1877-1878, she had battle- 
ships 400 feet in length, with estimated 
speed of 18 knots. These ships were built 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 61 

at a time when the largest British vessel 
was 320 feet in length, with an estimated 
speed of only 14 knots. 

In 1909, Italy had 11 modern battleships 
afloat, 10 armored cruisers, 17 destroyers, 
125 torpedo boats and 6 submarines. She 
spent annually upon her navy five and one- 
half million pounds. No account of her na- 
val development would be complete without 
a reference to Guglielmo Marconi, who first 
gave the world wireless telegraphy in prac- 
tical and commercial form, the introduction 
of which into navies has had such a profound 
effect upon modern naval tactics. 

For naval purposes the country is divided 
into three maritime zones, administered re- 
spectively from Spezia, Naples and Venice, 
with secondary naval stations at various 
strategic points, such as Taranto and Brin- 
disi. 

In regard to its personnel, the Italian 
Navy has always had splendid material in 
its maritime population. The seamen are 
recruited by conscription but the public of- 
ficers are trained from early youth and form 
the whole life force. 

The coming of the Italian battleship, 
"Conte di Cavour," to America was an 
event which stimulated lively interest, as it 
was a forceful reminder of the silent and he- 
roic work performed by the Allied navies 
during the recent struggle, in keeping open 
the lanes of the seven seas. 

The first phase of the Italian naval in- 
tervention is described as a series of raids 
and counter-raids. Then followed the rapid 



62 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

and ingenious development of coast de- 
fenses and the establishment of effective pa- 
trols. 

It was chiefly through the almost miracu- 
lous efforts of the Italian Navy that, in De- 
cember of 1915 and January of 1916, the 
Serbian Army was rescued from almost to- 
tal annihilation. It was the Italian Navy 
that picked up the routed Serbians, driven 
towards Albania by General Von Macken- 
sen, and carried them to safety to Italy 
across the water of the Adriatic, which was 
infested by the enemy with every conceiv- 
able weapon of destruction. 

The Italian battleship, "Conte di Ca- 
vour," had no little share in the trying and 
difficult ordeal of delivering the broken rem- 
nant of the Serbians from the clutches of the 
victorious Teutons as well as from actual 
starvation. The organization of the Italian 
fleet on that memorable occasion was as 
nearly perfect as anything could possibly be, 
and the work of rescue proceeded with as 
much celerity and as little loss as could be 
hoped for, under such perilous and trying 
circumstances. 

The number of Serbians thus saved was 
no less than 138,000, belonging to the Infan- 
try Corps in addition to 11,000 refugees, 
mostly sick and disabled. No less than 87 
crossings were made to carry them all in 
safety to the Italian shore. The Italian 
Navy also carried to Corfu, 10,000 horses 
and 13,000 cavalrymen, making 13 crossings 
from Vallona in the course of a few days. 
The enemy strove with every means to ham- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 63 

per this feverish movement of Italian ships 
and soldiers, employing at least thirteen 
submarines in an unsuccessful attempt to 
defeat the purposes of the Italian maneu- 
vers. 

Some of the most brilliant achievements 
of the war, achievements worthy of being 
ranked with the best deeds of daring and 
cool judgment to be found in naval history 
were performed by Italian naval officers. 
To record all of these would be beyond the 
scope of this writing, but a few are so con- 
spicuous as to be worthy of special mention. 

In December, 1917, Co mm ander Rizzo 
succeeded in entering the closely guarded 
harbor of Trieste in a small motor launch, 
and torpedoed the Austrian battleship 
"Wien," and then made good his escape. 

The following June, the submerged ob- 
structions and the mobile barrage (to which 
had just been added two squadrons of Amer- 
ican 110-ft. submarine chasers) had become 
so effective that the Austrians determined 
on a raid in force to clear the Straits. The 
Austrian superdreadnoughts left Pola on 
the night of the 15th of June, 1918, with the 
intention of making a rendezvous with the 
Austrian fleet off Cattaro, whence the com- 
bined forces would proceed with the attack. 
Commander Rizzo in a small sixteen-meter 
motor boat, accompanied by Lieutenant- 
Commander Aonzo with a similar motor 
boat, had been reconnoitering among the 
Dalmatian Islands. Motor trouble had de- 
layed them, and they found themselves in 
the middle of the Adriatic just before dawn. 



64 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Two large columns of smoke were observed, 
and Commander Rizzo, knowing that no 
large Italian vessels were in those waters, 
accurately assumed that the smoke came 
from major enemy units, and without hesi- 
tation proceeded to the attack. These little 
Italian launches carried two eighteen-inch 
torpedoes on racks which could be rigged 
outboard. They had a speed of twenty-four 
knots. On approaching Rizzo made out two 
large battleships convoyed by numerous de- 
stroyers (subsequently known to be ten in 
number). By skillful manoeuvering and 
proceeding at a low speed he succeeded in 
getting through the escorts of destroyers, 
and when within two hundred yards of the 
leading battleship, the St. Stephen, he 
launched both of his torpedoes, scoring two 
hits and having the satisfaction of seeing 
the target ship give a great lurch and start 
to settle immediately. She sank in a few 
minutes. Rizzo immediately turned and 
headed away at full speed, pursued by the 
destroyers who had picked him up with their 
searchlights and opened fire. Making a 
neat calculation of the speed and distance of 
the nearest pursuer, Rizzo set a depth 
charge and dropped it in the destroyer's 
path. So nicely was it timed that it ex- 
ploded directly under the bow of the de- 
stroyer, thus ending the chase. It was re- 
ported that the destroyer sank. Meanwhile, 
Lieutenant-Commander Aonzo, in the sec- 
ond launch, proceeded to the attack of the 
remaining battleship. When two hundred 
yards from his target he fired both torpe- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 65 

does. Unfortunately, one stuck slightly in 
the releasing gear. The second struck the 
battleship amidships, penetrating her, but, 
as luck would have, failed to explode. Both 
Aonzo and Rizzo succeeded in making their 
escape and returned to Ancona. 

The news of this brilliant exploit reached 
the world about the time the Americans at 
Chateau-Thierry were writing a new chap- 
ter in history, and the Italian army was 
hurling back the Austrian on the Piave in 
ignominious defeat. Consequently, I am 
afraid that Rizzo 's achievement is not as 
well known and recognized as it deserves 
to be. Coupled with the magnificent victory 
of the second Battle of the Piave, it served 
enormously to hearten the Italians. Its de- 
pressing effect on the Austrians was corre- 
spondingly great. An eye witness gave a 
graphic description of the scene in the Aus- 
trian Admiralty in Vienna when the news of 
the disaster was received. The Austrians 
were open and violent in their denunciations 
of the Germans, for it seems that the whole 
plan for the attack on Otranto originated 
with the Germans, and the Austrians were 
forced into it against their better judgment. 
Admiral Horthy, commanding the Austrian 
fleet, was particularly opposed to the at- 
tempt, as he knew that the Italian scouts 
were so active that secrecy would be impos- 
sible, and the element of surprise was count- 
ed on to carry the effort through. Of course, 
with the sinking of the St. Stephen and the 
disabling of the other battleship, the whole 
attack was called off. Thus Rizzo by his 



66 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

skill and daring not only destroyed the new- 
est and strongest unit in the Austrian fleet, 
but undoubtedly saved many Allied vessels 
and lives as well. 

Another naval feat that history will not 
fail to record is the sinking of the "Viribus 
Unitis, " This dreadnought was sunk in the 
night of October 31, 1918, and the expedi- 
tion was led by Captain Costanzo Ciano. 
Other members of the daring party were 
Sem Benelli, poet and soldier, author of 
"The Jest" and "The Love of the Three 
Kings"; Captain Paolucci, surgeon in the 
Italian Navy, and Colonel Rossetti, naval 
constructor. 

Captain Paolucci wrote the story of the 
expedition and it may be interesting to 
quote a few sentences from his thrilling ac- 
count. Describing the entrance into the 
waters of Pola, he says: "At half past ten, 
we hit against the outer obstruction, which 
was formed by a network of floating metal- 
lic cylinders more than three yards in 
length. This held submerged under the sur- 
face of the sea a wall of heavy steel wires 
over two yards in height. Holding on to the 
boat with one hand and to the cylinders with 
the other, we pushed our way through with 
the motor at a standstill. But we soon per- 
ceived that we were unable to make any 
headway in this manner and realized the 
danger of getting in too late. We, there- 
fore, decided to run the motor at low speed 
and to help ourselves with our arms in re- 
moving the obstruction, succeeding at last 
in passing through. In a little while we 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 67 

found ourselves at the gate of the mighty 
port, and as no further obstructions had 
been met on the way, we concluded that 
some ot the floating cylinders had fallen into 
the sea. 

"At this point, Colonel Rossetti grabbed 
me by the arm and pointed out to me a 
black mass, none too far away, which seemed 
to advance towards us. We stopped diving 
into the water as much as possible and very 
clearly distinguished the turret of a subma- 
rine, which approached us. Suspecting that 
we might have been found out, we at once 
got ready to fire the torpedoes and destroy 
the enemy boat, but, fortunately, the black 
mass passed on at about fifty yards from us 
and disappeared. 

''When at last we reached the wharf a 
solid mass of cement, we thought it advis- 
able tor one of us to swim forward and make 
an inspection. We wanted to ascertain 
whether the edge of the mole was con- 
structed with a line of straight, even blocks, 
which would completely hide our boat, or 
with loose piles, in which case we should 
be compelled to keep at a certain distance, 
thus leaving us exposed to the possible ob- 
servations of the sentinels on guard. I was 
the one selected for the inspection and, stick- 
ing my head up, I was delighted to find that 
the wharf was constructed just as we had 
wished, assuring us a safe hiding place while 
seeking out the object of our attack." 

Coming to the crucial point where the lit- 
tle torpedo boat made ready to strike the 



68 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

pre-ordained blow, Captain Paolucci con- 
eludes as follows: 

"The order of the Austrian ships at an- 
chor in the port from one end to the other 
was as follows: "Eadetzky," "Erzherzog," 
"Franc Ferdinand/' "Zriny," "Prinz Eu- 
gene Togethof," "Viribus Unitis." We 
steered towards the largest ship with the 
intention of attacking two of them, and we 
floated, with a certain swiftness, along the 
row of ships, always keeping as far as pos- 
sible from them. The "Eadetzky" was quite 
darkened but the "Viribus," which was 
further, was lit up with white lights. We 
were proceeding rather speedily, under the 
rain, which was pouring down in torrents, 
when I noticed that our boat was sinking. 
We discovered the immersion valve at the 
stern was open and we at once closed it, ris- 
ing to the surface. 

"Out of the trying moments we had spent, 
this was undeniably the most painful. We 
went on our way again, but it seemed as 
though we should never arrive. Half past 
three and four o'clock had already past; we 
were not yet at the level of the "Viribus 
Unitis," where we arrived only at a quarter 
past four. The stream was still running 
out. We thought then we might place our- 
selves along it at a hundred yards from the 
prows of the "Viribus" and there stop the 
machine, submerge as much as possible and 
let ourselves be smoothly carried along by 
the current. But the stream took us out of 
our way and we had to begin afresh. We 
finally got within twenty yards of the "Viri- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 69 

bus Unitis. " I should have swam under the 
dreadnought, so as to fix the torpedo, accord- 
ing to the plans already arranged by the 
Commander, but Colonel Rossetti mentioned 
to me that he wished to go himself, and I 
obeyed, recognizing his greater experience 
and knowledge. 

"When Rossetti left me, it was ten min- 
utes to five and I ought to have waited for 
him at a few yards' distance, cruising fur- 
ther out. But the stream took me away and 
carried me to a place where another small 
man-of-war was at anchor and I turned the 
machine around. I made the most desperate 
efforts to right it again but I failed in this 
and was about to run the risk of knocking 
up against the ship when I finally succeeded 
in giving the boat a proper direction, and, 
setting the motor in motion, I slowly moved 
toward the "Viribus." It was a quarter 
past five. Fully twenty minutes had passed 
since I had left Rossetti. Would he be dis- 
covered and taken a prisoner on the "Viri- 
bus"? In such case I should have noticed 
some light, heard a human voice or a signal 
of alarm. But nothing of the kind was 
heard. Meanwhile the alarm bell on the Ad- 
miral's ship was ringing loudly. I saw men 
going and coming on board the dread- 
nought, but they did not see me because I 
was in the dark and they were in the light. 
"But in the distance the first dawning was 
breaking. At the same time the strong cur- 
rent almost capsized our boat, but, after 
desperate efforts, I succeeded in steering 
straight for the "Viribus." It was twenty- 



70 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

five minutes to six, and I was still anxiously 
watching for Rossetti. But, just as I was 
moving against the side of the dreadnought, 
I saw a floating face. It was Rossetti com- 
ing up above the surface. My heart had 
never experienced a greater joy. Suddenly 
from the main tower of the "Viribus" a re- 
flector flashed its light upon us. We had 
been discovered.' ' 

The story concludes with an account of 
the bombing of the ship, which went to 
pieces in an instant, and thus another mon- 
ster against civilization was sunk. 

While the Austrian fleet limited its activi- 
ties to attacking brutally the undefended 
towns of the Adriatic coast, the Italian fleet 
had the twofold task of maintaining control 
of the Adriatic and of patrolling the Medi- 
terranean, at whose ports more than eisrht 
hundred ships were discharging weekly. 
Eight hundred kilometres of coast to defend 
against the enemy, who possessed the best 
and safest harbors of the Adriatic ; this was 
the tremendous task of the Italian fleet, the 
same fleet which went through the Darda- 
nelles under fire and subdued the Turkish 
resistance in the Libyan War. 

But the difficult and dangerous mission of 
defending the two seas could not quench the 
thirst of the Italian Navy for daring deeds, 
in its laudable ambition to defeat every in- 
cipient plan of the enemv directed against 
the operations of the Allied ships. To the 
adventurous spirit of the Italian sailors, the 
mere duty of patrolling seas seemed an ut- 
terly uninteresting office. They voiced their 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 71 

feelings by repeating the famous expression 
of their leading Commanders : "Should these 
ships be mere sentinels, when they were 
built with our best energies for the accom- 
plishment of heroic deeds f" 

They were very happy, when, on a cloudy 
morning, early in 1916, they surprised and 
frightened the Austrians by a sudden raid 
on Trieste, Fiume, and Durazzo. It was the 
daring feat, in which they knew they were 
risking their lives, but only such undertak- 
ings satisfied their spirit of adventure and 
patriotic sentiment. On May 8th and 12th 
of the same year an audacious attack was 
made on Parenzo and Pola, the great Aus- 
trian fortresses, defended by no less than 
three hundred guns. 

In December, 1917, two small torpedo 
boats entered the port of Trieste and sank 
the dreadnought "Wien." The echo of the 
sinking of the "Wien" and the "Viribus 
TTnitis" and the "Jest of Buccari ,, had 
barely died out, when Commander Pelle- 
grini, with lengendary audacity, sunk the 
"Szent Istvan" and damaged another 
dreadnought. "With his two small torpedo 
boats and fourteen men he had accomplished 
what an entire fleet could hardly do in open 
battle, Surely the Lion of St.* Mark must 
have watched with delight the sons of the 
Third Italy, as worthy keepers of the best 
Italian traditions under the glorious rule 
of the Roman and the Venetian Republics. 

The part of the "Conte di Cavour" in the 
World War will never be forgotten. It was 



72 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

this most powerful dreadnought, command- 
ed by able officer and a determined crew, 
that many a time threw its challenge to the 
enemy battleships that were safely anchored 
in the protected harbors of the Dalmatian 
and Istrian coasts. When it failed to bring 
them out into the open it helped the Army 
by bombarding from the sea rear and flanks 
of enemy positions along the coastal zones, 
backing up the actions of the English and 
Italian monitors. 

The "Conte di Cavour," together with 
other Italian dreadnoughts, gave valuable 
aid to the Army by replenishing its batter- 
ies with the ship 's own equipment, mounted 
on special pontoons for action in the marshy 
zones of Venetia, such as the lagoons of 
Crado, Monfalcone and Venice. Other long 
distance batteries were also mounted by the 
sailors on some of the Alpine heights. Fi- 
nally, the marine battalions, first on the 
Piave line, and elsewhere, took a leading 
part in erecting the impregnable human 
barrier which saved Venice, the Queen of 
the Sea, from probable invasions and pil- 
lage. 

Italy lost 61 ships in her naval operations; 
namely, five battleships, six auxiliary cruis- 
ers, six torpedo boats, nine submarines, 
eight destroyers, eight cruisers, four mine 
drags and other miscellaneous ships. She 
suffered, thus, a loss of over half of her mer- 
chant marine. The advance of Italy in trade 
with the world in imports and exports had 
so increased up to the time of the war that 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 73 

her merchant marine expanded to a great 
extent. 
The official figures are as follows: 

Total Tonnage Per 

Merchant Ships Lost Cent 

England 18,356,000 7,825,598 42.63 

Prance 2,300,000 908,068 39 44 

Haly 1,530,000 880,000 57 52 



CHAPTER V. 

ITALIAN WOMEN DURING THE WAR 

To the women of Italy, the war brought a 
tremendous task for which they were totally 
unprepared. Throughout history their lives 
had been, as a rule, sheltered for the neces- 
sity of work different from that of the care 
of the home had hardly ever presented it- 
self. 

During the war they were suddenly 
thrown into work in factories and offices, as 
well as in hospitals and asylums. The Ital- 
ian women emerged unusually successfully 
from this great task. They were clever and 
adaptable, and the women of the world have 
great reason to feel proud of the contribu- 
tion of the Italian women to the war. 

It is only to those who know how the 
Italian women hated to assume the duties 
and privileges of the other sex that there 
can come a fair realization of the wonder 
that it has been. Thousands and thousands 
of women left their household cares to enter 
the industrial field though during the pre- 
war days no amount of coercion could have 
induced them to enter that sort of work 
which seemed to their mind particularly fit 
for men. 

Among the allied nations, Italy in normal 
times has always been the one least given 
to employing women in the industrial field. 
For this reason it is remarkable that in 
May, 1917, the number of Italian women 




PIERCING HOLES 




WOMEN MAKING THREE INCHES (75MM) 
and two and one-half inches (65 mm) cast iron shells 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 75 

taking the place of men in war work 
amounted to 120,000 and grew steadily dur- 
ing the war. The number of women wage- 
earners grew from the 2,500,000 of pre-war 
days to 5,000,000. 

Women in large numbers were employed 
as street sweepers, street-car conductors 
and railroad ticket agents, though the great- 
est work contributed by women was along 
the lines of agricultural, munition work and 
nursing. 

In Italy, where the women of the peas- 
antry have always given a great deal of help 
to agriculture, it was, perhaps, not surpris- 
ing that the burden of farming fell entirely 
upon the women and that they became the 
food producers of the nation. Prom 1916 
to 1918, the women had to do most of the 
work of the fields, and it was a stupendous 
task. In Lombardy they saved the silk 
worm industry. In the South, the results of 
their efforts gave to Puglia a better harvest 
in 1916-1917 than had been reaped in the 
preceding year. 

Woman's contribution to the munition 
industry during the war was most marked. 
The number of women employed in the 
munition factories grew from 1,760 in 1914 
to over 300,000 in 1918. Their work was re- 
ported as efficient, accurate and reliable. In 
fact, the records of the Arms and Munitions 
Department show plainly that the techni- 
cality, the exactness of execution and the 
promptness in learning displayed by women 
in war work of any kind have surpassed all 
praise. 



76 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Since the month of May, 1915, at the very 
beginning of Italy's mobilization, the wom- 
en were called to service in the street-cars, 
later on the women began to serve on the 
state railroads, in the telegraph service, in 
public and private bureaus with almost uni- 
form efficiency. They did excellent work 
also in the humble but important work of 
cleaning the streets. Never before were the 
streets of Naples, Rome and Turin cleaner. 

The War Department was able to substi- 
tute women for many soldiers employed in 
writing, cooking and laundry, in preparing 
biscuits and bread and in clothing stores. 
The Italian housewife, true to her tradi- 
tional thrift and her culinary ability, helped 
tremendously with the food situation. Since 
the beginning of the war, Italy had been ra- 
tioning herself with extreme severity, pre- 
venting much waste of food. The women 
not only accepted any sacrifice with high 
spirit, but also tried to convert the econo- 
mies made necessary by the war to the finan- 
cial advantage of their families. 

Italian women realized at once after 
Italy's entrance into the war that they could 
furnish invaluable service to the soldiers in 
the field. This service they performed with 
loving devotion, inspired by maternal senti- 
ment, so that the soldiers came to be, in a 
sense, a vast family under their care. Knit- 
ting and needle work became so general and 
was pursued with such zeal that it became 
necessary to organize these willing workers 
in order to co-ordinate their efforts and 
make them most efficient. Actual work 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 77 

rooms were established everywhere, taking- 
contracts for army furnishings and employ- 
ing thousands of wives and relatives of the 
fighting men at a scale of wages that was a 
welcome addition to the scanty allowance 
that the soldiers' families received from the 
Government. 

Another valuable movement initiated by 
the women was the organizing of the tele- 
phone girls, whose work had become super- 
fluous, and employing them for the making 
of garments. The first of these organiza- 
tions was established in Milan, and the ex- 
ample followed in Genoa, Sienna, Bologna, 
Naples, and Florence. In such cities as Pa- 
lermo, Legnamo, Messina and Como, tele- 
phone operators received permission from 
their employers to alternate their telephone 
work with that of making clothing. Similar 
action was taken by teachers. 

The problem of giving civil and material 
assistance to the families of soldiers was 
mainly solved by the Government through 
assigning the making of military clothing 
to the very same women whose brothers or 
husbands were fighting at the front. The di- 
rection of these workshops was under volun- 
teer workers. It meant the handling of 
enormous business and a financial manage- 
ment of millions, but the women who took 
such responsibilities discharged their duties 
well. Half a million working women were 
given employment. 

In the war zone a great quantity of women 
found employment in the army laundries, 
while in the mountain territory women were 



78 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

found very efficient and satisfactory agents 
in keeping the roads clear from snow and in 
carrying loads of war material and food to 
the soldiers up in the mountains. In the 
real' lines at the front many thousands of 
women were employed to transport wire 
rolls or sacks of concrete for trenches as 
well as wood for the barracks. Loyal and 
trustworthy, these sturdy daughters of the 
Alps rendered unusual service to the nation 
in ministering daily to the needs of the army 
engaged in the Alpine warfare and they de- 
serve more recognition than history will 
ever be able to give them. 

The Italian Red Cross women also con- 
tributed their services as nurses, as mana- 
gers of the rest houses and canteens for the 
soldiers going to the front and coming back, 
which originated in Milan. 

The movement for the establishment of 
Casa del Soldato throughout Italy was also 
greatly helped by the women For instance, 
the Casa del Soldato in Genow was founded 
and maintained exclusively by the women's 
association, "Pro Patria." The material 
assistance and comfort which they offered 
to the soldiers was very properly supple- 
mented and completed by another woman- 
devised and woman-managed institution — 
the "Ufficio Notizie Militari," a Bureau of 
Information for the interchange and distri- 
bution of news from the soldiers to their 
families, and vice versa. 

The women of Italy awoke to an exalted 
sense of the tragic possibilities that lay be- 
fore their country as early as August, 1914. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 79 

With many, of course, this comprehension 
resulted at first in little more than the senti- 
ment of pity and maternal anxiety. But to 
the majority, though they realized fully the 
cost in suffering and death, Italy's duty was 
clear. She could not remain neutral or be 
in alliance with Teuton powers. She must 
intervene to complete the freedom of her 
people and to aid in returning other op- 
pressed people to freedom. 

Wherever intelligent women met, this 
truth became the topic of conversation. It 
quickly pervaded the consciousness of wom- 
en of all classes. It is noteworthy that in 
the opening month of the war in Europe 
Teresina Pasini of Milan was going about 
in the most populous sections of the city 
addressing the working classes in an effort 
to make clear the danger of a continued al- 
liance with Austria. 

The "Fede Nuova," a review devoted to 
promulgating the principles of Mazzini, 
took a definite stand in regard to the Italian 
intervention as early as the autumn of 1914. 
The President of this review, Signora Al- 
vina Albini Tondi, with Virginia Pincellotti 
Pace, a widely known journalist and writer 
of verse, and Professor Theresa Labriola, of 
the University of Rome, formed the perma- 
nent National Committee for Italian Inter- 
vention, and, on December 20, 1917, under 
its auspices, sent an appeal to Italian wom- 
en. 

The National Woman Suffrage Federation 
also sent a general appeal to get together all 
Italian women in a whole-hearted campaign 



80 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

so as to add to the cause and help in every 
possible way. 

The patriotic efforts and intellectual con- 
tribution during the war of that class of 
bourgeois women in Italy have been very 
remarkable when one considered that, ow- 
ing to the traditions of middle class Italian 
home life, they had hitherto lived in retire- 
ment and refrained even from taking part 
in public meetings and celebrations. 

Three notable institutions have come into 
being with the purpose of developing and 
organizing on a military basis the moral ac- 
tivities of Italy's women. They are the 
"Giovanetti Esploratrici, ,, or Girl Scouts, 
the * ' Seminitrici di Coraggio," or Sowers of 
Courage, and the Corps of Women Aviators 
of Italy. The "Giovanetti Exploratrici" 
was especially remarkable if one considers 
the conservatism which had always marked 
the education of young Italian mothers and 
their consent to such a radical revolution in 
the lives of their daughters as when it was 
proposed to give them a masculine military 
education, such as was imparted by the Girl 
Scout Corps. The purposes of the league of 
the Sowers of Courage were: (1) to fight 
pessimism in all forms, whether open or dis- 
guised, (2) to cheer the tired and depressed 
spirits of fighters and workers, (3) to in- 
spire with fervent patriotism women mourn- 
ing for their beloved dead lost in battle. 

Italian women by means of their lectures 
and publications gave far-reaching intellec- 
tual support during the war. The contribu- 
tions of magazine articles have been espe- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 81 

cially numerous: conspicuous among them 
are the articles of Professor T. Labriola; 
Ada Negri, the poetess, and Flavio Steno, 
journalist. 

Without question, the unusual service 
performed by Italian women during the past 
war has been very much appreciated and 
its importance estimated so highly that 
women are generally considered a new and 
forceful factor in the state. The varied ex- 
perience which they gained through the per- 
formance of their many duties will be a rich 
contribution to the reconstruction period as 
well as a tremendous asset. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

ITALY'S INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DURING 
THE WAR 

To create and maintain supplies for an 
army of millions, whether on the frontiers, 
or across the seas, as well as to feed and 
clothe them and to provide for all the needs 
of modern war, so voracious in its demands, 
presents a further view of the efforts dis- 
played by Italy. 

The difficulties that had to be overcome 
were greater than those of almost any other 
nation. Italy had to learn from actual ex- 
perience, as well as had the Allies, that al- 
most every phase of the operation of this 
war surpassed all previous calculations. 
This was especially true with regard to can- 
non and ammunition. Even Germany, who 
had prepared the peculiar mechanism of the 
modern war of which she thought she held 
the secret and who had organized her enor- 
mous industries for a prompt mobilization, 
finding herself obliged to face an unfore- 
seen continuation of the struggle and having 
realized the gigantic consumption required 
of both offensive and defensive, had been 
obliged to make an effort, surpassing any- 
thing previous. One then understands how 
the Powers of the Entente had to go on in- 
creasing their outlay while waging war, and 
how Italy had to obey the same law. 

But to provide for the experiences of war, 
Italy did not possess the vast industrial or- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 83 

ganization of Great Britain or the powerful 
one of France, to say nothing of the enor- 
mous industries possessed today by the 
United States. Her industries were in a 
formative state, especially those connected 
with Metallurgy, which were essential for 
the conduct of the war. She had to over- 
come grave difficulties, such as the want of 
coal and steel. At the outbreak of hostili- 
ties Italy imported steel, machinery and 
metals from other countries and it was from 
Germany that she imported the larger quan- 
tity. Germany in peace time had furnished 
her with war material and especially with 
artillery. During the period of neutrality 
the gravity of the problem gradually un- 
folded itself, and Italy took heed of her own 
industries, having understood from this mo- 
ment that no campaign could be undertaken 
unless supported by direct home production. 
But only on the declaration of war in May, 
1915, when bitter experience began to dem- 
onstrate it inexorably, did Italy understand 
what a vast war machine was required to 
conquer an enemy not only extraordinarily 
well equipped but also situated in such fa- 
vorable natural positions as to overwhelm 
almost any effort. Every previous calcula- 
tion seemed enormously inferior to the 
need; but the problem had to be faced. 
Some Italian industries had to be multi- 
plied; others had to be created. Machinery 
for the new tasks had to be supplied; labor 
increased, educated, and organized ; coal and 
steel distributed carefully. But these last 
became daily more difficult to obtain, owing 



84 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

to the high freightage demanded and the 
want of vessels. What had become a prob- 
\/ lem of transformation and multiplication in 
England and France, where industrial es- 
sentials already existed, and where all that 
was needed was to increase the output in 
determined quantities, in Italy was a prob- 
lem of contrivance. 

The outlook was not cheerful since the 
very essentials to build up her industries 
demanded the acquirements of coal which 
Italy lacked. Yet what had to be done was 
done, even though the difficulties seemed in- 
surmountable. 

Industrial mobilization was proclaimed 
in August, 1915, under the control of the 
Under Secretary for Arms and Munitions. 
This was necessary to regulate, control and 
co-ordinate all existing activities and to cre- 
ate new ones. Through this, and for the first 
time in the history of the nation, Italy, 
forced by the demands of war, attempted to 
regulate her industries. Differences on the 
part of both manufacturers and operatives 
had to be overcome; but it was overcome, 
because the government realized that disci- 
pline was imperative for this enormous task, 
and because the new office was created and 
put into force with simple methods and with 
no bureaucratic friction. 

The difficulties to be solved contained a 
number of peculiar problems, each of 
which was of great importance and very 
difficult of solution. But they were attacked 
with all the greater vigor, just because they 
were so complex, and even contradictory. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 85 

The Bureau of Industrial Mobilization had 
to organize production, and thus provide for 
the increase in the manufacture of machines 
as well as ascertain the powers of produc- 
tion of the mineral industries. It was neces- 
sary to augment the production of steel, 
which was, previous to the war, about one- 
tenth part of that produced in Great Britain 
and the sixth of that in Russia. 

It was necessary to make an exact calcu- 
lation of all the electrical associations for 
the organization of reciprocal aid in case of 
a diminution in power in some, and to pro- 
vide for a better utilization of electric en- 
ergy. The regulation of the railway trans- 
port which fed these establishments, the 
proportionate distribution of combustibles 
of all sorts, the enrollment of mechanics, 
forming in themselves an army, the collec- 
tion of all waste metals, were some of the 
many problems attacked and solved. Mili- 
tary discipline, the just foundation of work 
in such establishments, whether military or 
otherwise, facilitated the labor of adjusting 
economic questions, the solution of which 
had been entrusted to a board of manufac- 
turers and workmen. 

Controlled establishments, that is to say, 
private industries engaged in the produc- 
tion of war material, were without delay 
connected with the military ones through 
the Industrial Mobilization Committee. And 
besides this well organized and disciplined 
group, other minor establishments sprang 
up for the production of munitions especial- 



86 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

ly for the output of projectiles, which were 
also under the same control. 

In 1915, the soldiers outweighed their 
scant supplies hy their heroism, experiences 
gained in the trenches necessitated the addi- 
tion of new artillery as well as instruments 
of attack and defense much as were in vogue 
in the middle ages; bombs, flame-throwers, 
hand grenades, helmets, shields, etc. The 
Industrial forces passed rapidly from the 
phase of organization to that of develop- 
ment: indeed, the two were all but simulta- 
neous. 

At the close of the year, 1915, one noted a 
considerable increase in both men and muni- 
tions. The industrial army numbered 200,- 
000 men and the controlled establishments 
increased to about 300. But as the need of 
arming for a long and difficult war was made 
manifest, the efforts made during the winter 
season and the first six months of 1916 were 
such that the controlled establishments 
leaped up to 800 and were supported by a 
proportionate increase of workers, who soon 
amounted to about 300,000. 

Although this leap was not yet enough for 
what was wanted, still it proved that Italy 
would and could do more, and so the Indus- 
trial Mobilization Board, with redoubled 
vigor, busied itself with another important 
problem — the organization of women's 
work. At the close of 1916 the results were 
such as to assure the most absolute confi- 
dence. The controlled establishments num- 
bered 1000 and the industrial army 500,000, 
which included some 70,000 women. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 87 

In the spring of 1917 Italy showed what 
superb work she had achieved. More than 
300 controlled establishments were added 
to 66 of a military nature, some of them of 
the greatest importance, nor one must not 
forget the 1200 lesser ones which were not 
under control. More than 600,000 workmen, 
counting soldiers, exempted and unfit for 
military service, labored therein. Women 
who, on October 31, 1915, or two months af- 
ter the industrial mobilization, had num- 
bered only 6000, now figured at 100,000. In 
fifteen months the number had been in- 
creased some fifteen fold. 

This powerful organization produced 
practically everything by way of war mate- 
rial. Cannon of 381 and 305 calibre; mor- 
tars of 260 and of 210; artillery of medium 
calibre, 152 and 149 ; cannon of 105 and 102 ; 
others of 75 and of 65 ; as well as light anti- 
aerial guns, left the Italian workshops to- 
gether with all the projectiles they required. 
Every month hundreds of cannon and hun- 
dreds of thousands of projectiles were 
turned out. There were mortars of every 
type, certain of which did such good work 
at the glorious Battle of Gorizia; machine 
guns, rifles, hand grenades, cartridges, hel- 
mets and shields: the production of every de- 
scription of article for offense or defense 
was multiplied. In the spring of 1916 the 
output of machine guns was already eight 
times more than that of the first months of 
the same year while seven times as many 
trench bombs, five times as many rifles and 



88 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

three times as many cannon were manufac- 
tured. 

But the Italian workshops provided also 
all means of transport: of these by far the 
most important was the motor, in the pro- 
duction of which Italy was able also to sup- 
ply her Allies. They provided all the vari- 
ous products required by the artillery and 
the engineers; all the large and heavy mate- 
rial for the sappers and miners; delicate 
electrical apparatus, telegraphic, telephonic 
and optical plants; all appliances necessary 
for torpedoes, torpedo boats, mines; as well 
as all things required for the aerial warfare, 
in which Italy had asserted her supremacy 
over the enemy. 

The construction of a semi-rigid type of 
dirigible, invented and perfected by the Ital- 
ians, has been perfected to such an extent 
that both the army and navy derived the 
greatest assurance from these powerful ves- 
sels. Austria had nothing to compare with 
them. 

But most of all was Italy's supreme force 
directed to the production of aeroplanes. 
Whereas, at the opening of the war, the avi- 
ation industry hardly existed, during the 
third year of the war, ninety establishments 
were given over to this branch. Aircraft 
were built in large numbers and the aviation 
service was benefited with the possession of 
such powerful machines of destruction as 
were possessed by no other power. In short, 
up to the present time, aviation is ever more 
assured by successful trials of its use in 
peace time; and many experiments have 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 89 

been carried out for the transport of mail 
over the continent and between the conti- 
nent and the islands. 

With these industrial efforts one must not 
forget the work achieved by the state rail- 
ways, which embrace the largest network 
of lines in Europe under any single control. 
The first operation of supreme importance 
by the railway system was in connection 
with the mobilization of the troops that 
formed the army; the second, which was of 
far greater complexity, was constituted by 
the enormous transportation of the men, 
material, provisions, and supplies, that 
mean life to an army at the front. In the 
first quarter of 1916, the intensity of the 
daily military transport was more than fif- 
teen per cent greater than that in the period 
of mobilization of May and June, 1915. 

Difficulties had to be overcome that were 
indeed serious. Firstly, those presented by 
the configuration of the country, which de- 
manded protracted journeys to carry what 
was required to the army at the front from 
Italian centres. Besides the distance, very 
terrible gradients had to be passed, since the 
line, on which traffic had to be accumulated 
for reasons of defense, was along the Tyr- 
rhenian coast, which, in order to reach the 
plain of the Po, had to surmount the barrier 
of the Apennines. 

The state railways were able thoroughly 
and efficiently to wrestle with every prob- 
lem imposed on them through the transport 
of troops and recruits, of wounded and sick, 



90 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

of prisoners of war, of arms and ammuni- 
tion, of food and clothing, of all the enor- 
mous mass of goods required, not only for 
the army at the front but for the expedition- 
ary forces across the sea. Moreover, they 
performed extensive transport work for 
their allies with regard to the troops and 
war material passing through Italy en route 
for Macedonia. Thus, within the first twen- 
ty-two months, the war statistics show that 
11,000,000 soldiers and officers, 1,000,000 
quadrupeds, 3 million wagons of necessary 
material, with a monthly maximum that 
reached 900,000 men and 180,000 trucks or 
wagons, were handled. On several lines 
daily traffic showed more than 100 trains; 
on some days as many as 120; and at the sta- 
tions, where traffic was at its greatest, no 
less than 300, 320 and even 350 trains were 
totalled. To this must be added the collec- 
tion of trucks to form the sanitary trains, 
which were two-thirds more than was con- 
sidered necessary in time of peace, for the 
composition of armoured trains on coast de- 
fense service, for the refrigerating cars of 
frozen meats, of which, within a compara- 
tively short time, no less than 100,000 tons 
were sent up. 

With all this, the state railways supported 
the increase in the transport of coal and of 
materials required for Italy's industries, 
guaranteeing also a proper division of food 
stuffs, especially cereals. It also took that 
portion of the traffic which, before the war, 
was borne by the Adriatic Navigation Com- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 91 

pany, and it reduced, without serious incon- 
venience, the passenger service. As a mat- 
ter of fact, the proceeds of the traffic in the 
first portion of the war (1915-1916) amount- 
ed to 758,657,788 lire of which 221,589,088 
lire were for military transport, with an in- 
crease of 183,000,000 over the preceding. 
And it increased in the following period 
(1917-1918) ; so that the average monthly 
turn-over was some 90,000,000 as compared 
with 48,000,000 in 1913-1914. 

The proof of this resistance, as afforded 
by fixed and rolling stock, has been of the 
best, even though it has been necessary to 
obtain from both an exceptional amount of 
work, as the absorption of the industry for 
war purposes had delayed or even impeded 
the consignment of materials on the part of 
the makers. But the state railways inflicted 
severe labor on their workshops, and not 
only succeeded in dealing with the feverish 
work of repairs but also manufactured pro- 
jectiles, thus co-operating with the arsenals 
for the provision of war materials. 

No more complete idea may be obtained 
of the steady progress made by Italian in- 
dustries and of the promising outlook for 
their future by comparing the number of 
industrial concerns and their capital, at the 
end of the year just preceding the war, with 
their growth in number and financial capac- 
ity at the end of 1917, together with a glance 
at their geographical distribution. 

The following data gives at a glance the 



92 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

great development from 1913 to 1917 in Ital- 
ian industries as a whole: 

December 31, 1913 December 31, 1917 

Region No.* Capital No.* Capital 

Piedmont 306 442,737,000 299 703,647,000 

Liguria 254 658,749,000 306 983,803,000 

Lombardy 896 1,347,648,000 1019 1,768,697,000 

Venetia 159 156,526,000 160 208.609,000 

Emilia 86 84,944,000 116 99,510,000 

Tuscany 140 153,638,000 165 231,858,000 

Marche 24 14,443,000 33 18,933,000 

Umbria 25 7,713,000 26 7,875,000 

Latium 213 593,886,000 296 842,745,000 

Abruzzi & Molise 26 3,948,000 25 5,434,000 

Campania 140 174,943,000 183 407,769,000 

Apulia 34 25,517,000 42 23,236,000 

Basilicata P 4 880,000 6 321,000 

Calabria 9 4,815,000 22 8,482,000 

Sicily 70 60,373,000 87 82,462,000 

Sardinia 3 1,025,000 8 8,525,000 



Totals 2386 3,731,705,000 2793 5,401,906,000 



* Number of Industrial Concerns. 

The figures show an aggregate of 407 new 
industrial concerns, representing an aug- 
mented financial capacity of 1,670,301 lire 
at the end of 1917. The distribution of this 
increase shows that all the Italian regions 
have contributed to the development of Ital- 
ian industry in proportion to their initial 
strength. The growth has not been regional 
but nationwide; it is a true development of 
all industrial Italy — a development which, 
according to present events, seems to have a 
brilliant future. 

At the end of 1916 there were in Italy 
2,179 establishments, with a force of 468,940 
workers, producing war material. 

The number of the establishments at the 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 93 

end of 1917 had grown to 2,849, which may 
be classified as follows: 

Kind No. Kind No. 

Aviation r 25 Mechanic 625 

Explosives 35 Miscellaneous 323 

Electric Industry 97 Military Establish- 

Metallurgic & Sider- ments 66 

urgical 113 Minor Establishments..l,200 

Chemical 113 

Gas 130 Total 2,849 

Textile & alimentary ..185 

The rapidity of the industrial mobiliza- 
tion during 1916 and 1917 is shown in the 
following table, which gives the increase in 
number of laborers employed every three 
months: 

1916 Number 1917 Number 

1st Trimestre 180,000 1st Trimestre 540,000 

2nd Trimestre 340,000 2nd Trimestre 630,000 

3rd Trimestre 390,000 3rd Trimestre 700,000 

4th Trimestre 450,000 4th Trimestre 775,000 

At the end of 1916, the skilled laborers, 
men and women, mobilized in 66 military es- 
tablishments, amounted to 34,119; while the 
number of those working in the 932 auxil- 
iary establishments existing at that time 
was 399,955. 

At the end of 1917 the people work- 
ing only in the auxiliary establishments 
amounted to 621,066. 

The rapid increase in the amount of cap- 
ital invested in Italy is undoubtedly one of 
the most significant proofs of Italian expan- 
sion in the industrial fields during the war. 
The phenomenon might have been foreseen 
because of the raising of prices, but nobody 
could have forecast the imposing propor- 
tions which it reached. 

At the beginning of the war, Italian indus- 



94 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

tries were obliged to provide both for civil- 
ians and also for the government, goods 
formerly imported from enemy countries 
and at the same time to increase exports to 
the Allies as well as to neutral countries 
freed from German competition. This two- 
fold task would have been impossible with- 
out the help of new capital. 

Italy has been pictured as a country poor 
in financial resources and inclined to prefer 
investing its capital in securities of the 
State rather than in stocks of private indus- 
trial enterprises. Yet, when capital was 
needed for extraordinary war production, 
more than 1,300,000,000 lire were invested in 
ordinary sharing societies in one year. 

A comparison between the movement of 
the stock companies during 1917 and that in 
the preceding year, and a further compari- 
son with 1915 and the last six months of 
1914, show how remarkably the entire finan- 
cial organism of the country resisted the 
stroke of war, and how the activity of the 
stock companies increased. This activity, 
naturally, was unusual and due to the exi- 
gencies of war, but it is nevertheless indica- 
tive of the economical strength of Italy. 

Although certain industries, as Ex-Pre- 
mier Nitti observed in a financial report to 
the Chamber of Deputies, such as those con- 
nected with the movement of foreigners and 
those requiring a great quantity of fuel, to- 
gether with some banking enterprises of 
minor importance, profited greatly by the 
mechanical, electrical, textile and mining 
enterprises due to war conditions. At the 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 95 

same time, other industries, as, for example, 
those for chemical products and dyes which 
had hitherto been German monopolies, were 
newly created or developed, so that they 
showed in 1915 and 1916 an investment, re- 
spectively, of 10,485,000 lire, and 32,260,000 
lire. By 1917 they had attracted an invest- 
ment of 111,711,200 lire, together with an in- 
crease of 36 new establishments. 

The effect of the war, at first, was to in- 
crease the amount of investments in indus- 
try. During the last six months of 1914, the 
amount of capital invested was 73,618,345 
lire, against a withdrawal from investment 
of 77,429,475 lire, giving a net balance of 3,- 
811,130 lire in favor of the latter. In 1915, 
although the movement of capital was still 
slow, the total investments were 196,733,795 
lire, against 118,115,154 lire of withdrawals, 
so that investments were again taking the 
upper hand with a difference of 76,615,641 
lire. But in 1916 there were investments of 
409,986,770 lire, against 178,223,815 lire of 
withdrawals, and in 1917 the very remark- 
able amount of 1,359,941,191 lire of invest- 
ments was reached, against only 77,359,- 
974 lire of withdrawal, thus bringing the 
amount of capital invested in the sharing 
companies up to about 7,000,000,000 lire. 

A clear perception of the increase may be 
gained also from the number of companies 
legally established during the last three 

y ' Number Capital 

Year of companies subscribed 

1915 155 99,204,245 

1916 173 176,441,091 

1917 282 491,498,225 



96 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

The question which at once arises upon 
viewing this great growth of Italian indus- 
try is whether this development, favored as 
it has been by war, will be able to adapt it- 
self to the conditions of peace. Without hes- 
itation it can be answered that the 700,000,- 
000 lire of capital invested during the second 
period of 1917 and the still greater amount 
in 1916, will hasten the industrial growth of 
the country and will solve the labor prob- 
lems as well. Labor is a primary asset to 
Italy. It involves the problem of emigra- 
tion and the return of more than four mil- 
lion laborers who are being discharged from 
the army. Mining, siderurgical, mechani- 
cal, chemical and electro-chemical, electri- 
cal, maritime, automobile and textile indus- 
tries will help greatly in the matter by being 
transformed and applied to peacetime needs. 
Agricultural production will be stimulated 
by the construction of auto-ploughs, thresh- 
ing machines and other tools. Merchant 
ships will be built. The utilization of hy- 
draulic energy is under way. Railroad lines 
and equipment, worn out by four years of 
war, will be restored. The greater part of 
the capital invested will be retained and its 
utilization will be transformed so as to 
bring economic industrial prosperity to 
Italy, now that its task of assuring military 
victory has been fulfilled. 

The development of steel and steel prod- 
ucts has become one of the main tasks as- 
sumed by the siderurgical industry of Italy. 
This development is progressing so in both 
technique and organization that in a short 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 97 

time it will be possible for Italy to produce 
at less cost than abroad all steel and steel 
products needed by the industries of the 
country. 

In 1913 steel production in Italy came 
from sixty-seven Martin furnaces, two Rob- 
ert converters, two Bessemer and seven 
electric furnaces. In 1915, the electric fur- 
naces were increased to twenty, and the 
Robert converters to four, while two cruci- 
ble furnaces had been added. In 1916, 
twenty-two Martin furnaces were under 
construction and the electric furnaces had 
increased twofold the potentiality already 
reached in 1915. 

Steel production which, in 1914, had been 
nearly 900,000 tons, passed the million ton 
mark in 1915. Only 2.6% of this quantity 
was reproduced electrically, 97% of it com- 
ing from the Martin furnaces. In 1916, steel 
was produced to the amount of 1,300,000 
tons, with electric production going up to 
4.5% and that of Martin furnaces lowering 
to 94.5%. In 1917, the production contin- 
ued to increase, indeed, but though precise 
data are lacking, it can be calculated that 
the production by electricity increased to 
8%. 

The Martin process of production is, 
nevertheless, the main source of steel in 
Italy. The Martin furnaces in 1902 to 1913 
tripled and are still increasing, while the 
converters did not increase and sometimes 
did not work at all. A peculiar fact is evi- 
dent, on the contrary, in the increase of the 
electric furnaces from seven to forty, as a 



98 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

result brought about by the war through the 
lack of fuel and the high price asked for 
such as was obtainable. 

The metallurgic corporations, which num- 
bered only sixty-eight in 1913, show an in- 
crease to ninety-three in 1917, and their 
capital was collectively increased from 330,- 
674,000 lire to 530,000,000 lire, showing a 
growth of 200,181,000 lire. The following 
table gives a detailed comparison between 
the situation on December 31, 1913, and the 
corresponding one in 1917: 

December 31, 1913 December 31, 1917 
Com- Corn- 
Region parries Capital parties Capital 

Piedmont 15 28,205,000 14 42,527,000 

Liguria 16 111,547,000 17 83,905,000 

Lombardy 20 46,330,000 39 89,943,000 

Venetia 2 2,350,000 2 2,120,000 

Emilia 1 650,000 

Tuscany 4 28,350,000 3 57,670,000 

Umbria 1 300,000 1 600,000 

Latium 7 106,792,000 9 234,300,000 

Campania 2 4,300,000 6 16,640,000 

Sicily , 1 2,500,000 1 2,500,000 

Totals 68 330,674,000 93 530,855,000 

The steel industry of Italy enjoyed an 
enormous increase because of the war. It 
was obliged to maintain its pace at the high- 
est rate of production for the national de- 
fense while still facing the most serious 
difficulties from scarcity of fuel. But tlie 
broad and active contributions of Italian 
statesmen, economists, technical men and 
capitalists, helped the situation out of the 
difficulties in a brilliant way. 

The corporations working in mechanical 
industries in 1913 numbered 140, with an 
aggregate capital of 224,631,000 lire. In 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 99 

1917 they were 175 in number, while their 
aggregate capital had been increased to 342,- 
848,000 lire, showing an increase of 118,217,- 
000 lire. 

This is a detailed prospect of them accord- 
ing to their location and their financial situ- 
ation on December 31, 1913, and 1917, re- 
spectively: 

December 31, 1913 December 31, 1917 
Com- Corn- 
Region panies Capital panies Capital 

Piedmont 25 51,300,000 22 76,000,000 

Liguria 16, 24,988,000 21 56,000,000 

Lombardy 67 102,920,000 81 129,948,000 

Venetia 6 5,720,000 8 14,300,000 

Emilia 1 7,000,000 5 19,639,000 

Tuscany 11 6,015,000 8 9,655,000 

Latium 4 16,200,000 7 12,600,000 

Campania 8 9,668,000 19 23,320,000 

Apulia 1 700,000 1 700,000 

Calabria 1 60,000 

Sicily 1 120,000 2 430,000 

Totals 140 224,631,000 175 342,848,000 

The activity displayed by the automobile 
and aeroplane industries in Italy during the 
war had attracted special attention in view 
of their very remarkable increase in produc- 
tion, and consequently in exportation. 

Italy had imported, during 1913, automo- 
biles aggregating 13,531,372 lire in value. 
This importation had decreased, on Decem- 
ber 31, 1917, to a total of 7,729,900 lire, 
showing a difference of 5,801,472 lire. At 
the same time the exportation, which 
amounted at the end of 1913 to 34,180,937 
lire, had increased in 1917 to 115,693,805 
lire, showing an increase of 81,512,868 lire. 

This accounts very favorably for the work 
which has been performed by the old Ital- 
ian firms such as the Fiat, the Isotta-Fras- 



100 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

chini and the Lancia, as well as by the new- 
born ones, or those which established special 
branches for the automobile industry. 

At the end of 1913 only thirty companies 
were engaged in the manufacture of auto- 
mobiles and they had an aggregate capital 
of only 49,167,000 lire. On December 31, 
1917, their number were augmented to fifty- 
five, amounting to 195,076,000 lire. This 
shows an increase, therefore, of twenty- 
three companies and of 145,909,000 lire in 
capital. 

In the aeroplane industry, the Caproni, 
Sovoia, Industria Aviatore and Meridionale 
companies, together with the three aviation 
establishments of Ansaldo, account for the 
best results. 

In 1913, Italy had 173 corporations con- 
cerned in the textile industry, some of them, 
such as the Giovanni Rossi and the Edoardo 
Stucchi, world famous. The active move- 
ment of war-times has exercised its influ- 
ence also upon these peaceful industries. 
Of late, seven more textile concerns have 
been formed while the aggregate capital of 
these 180 companies amounts to 494,633,000 
lire, with an increase of 50,834,000 lire over 
1913. The advance in the average dividends 
was from 3.3% in 1913 to 5.6% in 1917. The 
chemical industry in Italy has made note- 
worthy progress within the last fifteen 
years. Even before the war it employed 
100,000 H. P. and 12,000 workers and pro- 
duced material to the value of about 180,- 
000,000 lire. The chemical concerns, which 
in 1913 were 222, had increased to 276 in 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 101 

1917; and their aggregate capital from 270,- 
499,000 lire in 1913 to 472,672,000 lire In 
1917, showing a plus increase of 202,173,000. 

At present, operations are already under 
way for the manufacture on a large scale of 
all the chemical substances required by the 
country. 

Another important branch of the chemical 
industry is that of fertilizers, for it has been 
estimated that Italy could thereby treble 
its consumption of wheat. Notwithstanding 
the difficulties naturally encountered in 
dealing with an industry which is new in 
Italy, or perhaps the heritage of a few spe- 
cialists, the progress being made is really 
encouraging. 

Exportation of silk products before the 
war equalled the fourth part in value of the 
entire exportation. Among the exports of 
the five years immediately preceding the 
war (1909-1913) which were estimated at an 
average of 2,211,941,253, the silk export fig- 
ures were 533,713,239 lire. The war did not 
bring harm to the silk trade. On the con- 
trary, by increasing the value of silk prod- 
ucts, any decrease in amount of exports was 
counterbalanced. Taking into consideration 
the average value of the entire exportation 
in 1915 and 1916, which has been estimated 
at 2,810,866,873 lire, the silk export shows 
an average value of 666,290,000 lire. 

The beneficent result in the increase of 
prices was still more evident in 1916. The 
value of silk goods exported in 1916 shows 
an increase of 25% over 1915; so that while 
the quantity of exported goods decreased 



102 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

by an estimated amount to 240,000,000 lire 
in comparison with 1915, still, through the 
augmented prices, it was possible to reach 
an increase of 795,000,000 lire in silk export. 

Remarkable advance has come about dur- 
ing the war in regard to Italy's maritime in- 
dustry. Ex-Premier Signor Boselli said 
once: "Our country has to become a great 
maritime nation, or she will never be a great 
nation.' ' And that is perfectly true. Italy 
had realized longer before, but never before 
had she struggled because of the lack of a 
merchant marine in wartime. Thousands 
of economists and publishers enlisted in an 
active campaign to turn all available re- 
sources of Italy toward the development of 
her merchant fleet. 

Although the war immediately reduced to 
the lowest limit all the tonnage on hand, in- 
asmuch as all governments were forbidding 
rather than merely limiting the sale of ships 
to foreign ship owners, still, the Italian mer- 
chant marine was able to increase her fleet 
during 1915 by twenty-three steamships, 
mostly for freighting purposes, and each of 
them greater than 1,000 gross tons. And on 
January 1, 1916, the shipyards of Italy were 
already actively building twenty-five mer- 
chant steamships of steel, aggregating 103,- 
500 tons. 

Furthermore, a special Ministry of Trans- 
portation was formed, and there were many 
decrees promulgated to help the merchant 
marine. Among them, the one issued in Au- 
gust, 1916, is the most remarkable, as it pro- 
vides for very considerable support to the 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 103 

industry of ship owning and building, while 
it gives to all the ships bought any time 
within two years after the passage of the 
law full exemption from the income and su- 
perprofit taxations for three years. 

By a special provision of the government, 
in November, 1916, the Instituto di Credito 
Navale (Naval Institution of Credit) was 
established to support the maritime indus- 
try, with a capital of 50,000,000 lire for cred- 
its to be granted to ship owners and ship- 
builders, while another institution for 
maritime credit, having the same capital, 
was privately established. Fourteen new 
navigation companies with a capital of 226,- 
450,000 lire were born in 1917 and there 
were new shipyards with a capital of 55,500,- 
000 lire. 

Italy, as has been said, rests mainly upon 
the sea for future expansion of her trade. 
Prom a referendum submitted to the Italian 
Chamber of Commerce on after-the-war 
plans, it may be learned that the industrial 
development of the nation is strongly urged 
through the utilization of the national wat- 
erpower, and that it ranks only second in 
importance to the development of agricul- 
ture. 

The hydraulic power of Italy is, indeed, of 
such conspicuous strength that if rationally 
managed it may give all the Italian indus- 
tries almost complete independence from 
any other kind of fuel. It has been esti- 
mated as exceeding 5,000,000 H. P. The 
government is doing its best to further the 
private initiative in deriving electrical pow- 



104 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

er from water, and the proof of the faith of 
industrial men in this development is the 
fact that the largest part of industrial capi- 
tal is invested in hydro-electric concerns. 

In 1913 the number of companies engaged 
in electrical industry was already 288, with 
an aggregate capital of 638,861,000 lire. At 
the end of 1917 the number of companies 
had been increased to 238, and the capital to 
903,164,000 lire, showing an increase of 264,- 
303,000 lire. In Lombardy alone, there are 
120 electric concerns with an aggregate cap- 
ital of 440,076,000 lire. The Campania 
comes second with twenty-eight companies 
and an aggregate capital of 137,826,000 lire. 
Venetia and Piedmont have twenty-seven 
firms, with 67,339,000 lire, and 72,699,000 
lire of capital, respectively. The southern 
provinces, too, seem to display great activity 
in this field. Apulia and Calabria have 
twenty-seven, aggregating a capital of 11,- 
569,000 lire. 

When speaking of the economic future of 
Italy, reference is generally made to the 
country's industrial progress, especially 
during the past few years. The fact is 
sometimes overlooked that Italy has 70,000,- 
000 or more acres of which 50,000,000 are 
under cultivation, and that a majority of the 
population is engaged in farming so that the 
country's agricultural wealth is her princi- 
pal characteristic. 

The slogan "Back to the land," which, 
during the great industrial development of 
our modern epoch, seemed but the solitary 
cry of dreamers, bids fair to become the 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 105 

principal basis of the new program of eco- 
nomic and social reconstruction after the 
war. It is very interesting to note that this 
new trend of thought in Italy is progressing, 
despite the deafening of the thousands of 
factories working from end to end of the 
land. 

As I travelled through the Northern part 
of Italy, particularly through Turin, Milan 
and Genoa, I soon saw that within the past 
few years a great number of efficient indus- 
trial organizations had been developed. Not- 
able among these is the group known as the 
Ansaldo Company in Turin. At the begin- 
ning of the war this group of activities of- 
fered at once to turn their establishments 
into the making of guns for the army and 
they actually became the largest contribut- 
ing factors toward victory from the stand- 
point of supplying ammunition with their 
huge industry of 100,000 men. 

During the last two years of the war, the 
New York branch of the Ansaldo Company, 
notwithstanding the countless difficulties of 
embargoes of every kind, bought in the 
United States, and shipped to Italy in its 
own steamers, war material costing over 
fifty-two million dollars. All this material 
was used only in the Ansaldo Works in 
Italy. Numbering about forty different es- 
tablishments in connection with the mining 
industry, cast iron, bronze, and steel foun- 
dries, electro-metallurgy, engine building, 
artillery and munition works, aviation mo- 
tors, production of oxygen and hydrogen, 
electro technical works, factories for gaso- 



106 ITALY DURIN© THE WORLD WAR 

line and heavy oil motors, ship-building and 
air craft yards, ship-rigging works and the 
treatment of fire-proof materials, it can 
truly be said of the Perrone Brothers of the 
Ansaldo Company that they are today 
among the contributors to the reconstruc- 
tion program, just as they were to the ulti- 
mate victory in the World War. 



CHAPTER VII. 

FIUME— ITS HISTORICAL STATUS. 

Fiume, situated at the eastern base of the 
peninsula of Istria : belongs geographically 
to Istria. The eastern boundary of Italy, 
however, is on the declivity of the Julian 
Alps, which descends toward the sea at the 
channel of Morlacca, over against the Rock 
St. Mark, thus bringing Fiume within the 
territory that geographically belongs to 
Italy. 

If the city of Fiume has assumed world- 
wide importance, it is because of its irresis- 
tible Italianity. Everything we know of the 
ancient history of Fiume proves the deter- 
mination of her citizens to remain Italian — 
a determination which is confirmed by their 
recent history. When, in 1848, the Croa- 
tians, who had joined forces with the Aus- 
trians against revolutionary Hungary, took 
military possession of the city of Fiume, 
their leader, the representative of the Ban 
of Croatia, recognizing the nationality of the 
inhabitants, promised to respect the city's 
municipal liberties and the use of the Ital- 
ian language. The people of Fiume, how- 
ever, knowing that they could not trust the 
promises of their conquerors, resisted by 
every means in their power; nor could their 
spirit be broken by nineteen years of contin- 
ual repressions. Persecutions as well as 
measures of repression could not put an end 
to the repeated pretexts of the municipality 



108 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

against any and every annexation to Croa- 
tia. 

When the Hungarians, who succeeded the 
Croatians in 1867 and were hailed as libera- 
tors, began to make attempts on the nation- 
al character of Fiume, they met with an 
equally sturdy resistance. It was useless to 
try to wipe out twenty centuries of Latin 
civilization in a few years, and the attempt 
was doomed to failure from the beginning. 
The Hungarian government tried to attain 
its end by colonization. It began by install- 
ing a regular army of Hungarian officials in 
the postal and telegraphic services, the cus- 
toms and tax offices, schools, railways, pub- 
lic works and banks, thus creating a body 
which could be trusted to obey. This, how- 
ever, was not sufficient. The struggles of 
daily life only served to strengthen the con- 
sciences of the Italians, whose commerce 
and industries served as so many weapons 
of defense. 

The government then determined to turn 
its attention to the realm of intellect by 
making the higher schools thoroughly Hun- 
garian and by refusing admission to all 
who were not ready to renounce their own 
nationality. They made the study of the 
Hungarian language compulsory and ap- 
pointed Magyars to teach Italians, with the 
object of corrupting and debasing the lan- 
guage. These efforts were fruitless also. 

Until February, 1914, the origin of Fiume 
was unknown. An arch between two houses 
in the old part of the town, traditionally 
known as the Eoman Arch, and the allusions 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 109 

to Roman works on its present location, as 
shown by the writing of Claudius Ptolomy, 
afforded grounds for supposing it to be of 
Latin origin. The Italian dialect spoken by 
the native population could only have been 
a development of Latin, nor could its origin 
be ascribed to Venice, for Venice ruled 
Fiume for only one year, 1508-1509. 

Nevertheless, many students of local his- 
tory threw doubts on these suppositions, for 
none of the written documents relating to 
Fiume date back further than the Xlllth 
century. The old chronicles only speak of 
Tarsatica, destroyed in the year 800 by 
Charlemagne, and reappearing in the mid- 
dle ages under the name of San Vito al 
Fiume, known later as Fiume. The discov- 
ery, however, in 1914, of Roman remains un- 
der a house, which was pulled down in the 
older part of the city, removed all doubt of 
Fiume 's Latin origin. 

Fiume, from its foundation a free munici- 
pality, was for some time under the domin- 
ion of the Franks, then it became successive- 
ly a Fief of the Bishop of Pedena, of the 
Bishop of Pola, of the Lords of Walsee and, 
finally, of the Hapsburgs. For thirty years 
only, in the fourteenth century, Fiume was 
held in pledge by the Croatian family of the 
Frangipani in 1752, was made part of the 
government of Trieste, a union that was but 
natural. 

All documents relative to the city of 
Fiume bear witness to its uninterruptedly 
Italian character, which victoriously sur- 
vived the Slav invasion from the Danubian 



110 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

region in the seventh century. In 1776, 
Maria Theresa, then paramount ruler over 
Hungary and Croatia, incorporated Fiume, 
not to Croatia, as some students of history 
have erroneously stated, but to Hungary 
through Croatia, then a part of the King- 
dom of Hungary. Later on, as a result of 
the protests of the inhabitants of Fiume, 
a royal decree of April, 1779, proclaimed 
Fiume to be a separate body annexed to the 
"crown of the Kingdom of Hungary.' ' The 
plan adopted by Maria Theresa could not 
have been clearer or more effective in de- 
claring Fiume to be a quite distinct body, 
directly connected with the Royal Crown of 
Hungary, and having no connection what- 
ever with Croatia. 

During the Hungarian revolution of 1848, 
when the Magyars were entertaining aspi- 
rations to national freedom, Fiume was tak- 
en from Hungary by the Croatians of the 
Bana Jelacco, who, as always, had remained 
faithful to the Hapsburgs. They held it for 
fourteen years, though they were unable, in 
spite of their strenuous endeavors, to under- 
mine its Italian character; and in 1867, in 
the dualistic settlement between Austria 
and Hungary, it was restored to Hungary. 

The historical boundaries of the free city 
of Fiume and its territory were established 
by Imperial Patent, issued by Ferdinand 
First on July 20th, 1530, recognized by Ma- 
ria Theresa in 1779, and finally by the Hun- 
garian Government in 1868. Deputations 
from Croatia and Fiume met at Budapest 
and decided that the free city of Fiume and 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 111 

its territory should remain, in accordance 
with the charter of 1779, provisionally an- 
nexed to Hungary, as a separate body. 

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian 
Monarchy at Vittoria Veneto has afforded 
Fiume the best opportunity to avail herself 
of the right to join Italy, her mother coun- 
try. Basing her claim on this right as well 
as on President Wilson's principle of self- 
determination, the National Council of the 
Free Town of Fiume and its territory in 
October, 1918, solemnly resolved: "The Ital- 
ian National Council of Fiume, assembled 
today in full session, declares that by reason 
of that right whereby all nations have at- 
tained independence and liberty, the city 
of Fiume, which up to now was a separate 
body constituting an Italian National Muni- 
cipality, also claims for itself the right of 
self-determination. Taking its stand on this 
right, the National Council proclaims Fiume 
united to its motherland, Italy. The Italian 
National Council considers as provisional 
the state of things that commenced on Octo- 
ber 29, 1918, and it places its right under the 
protection of America, the mother liberty 
and universal democracy, awaiting the sanc- 
tion of this right at the hands of the Peace 
Conference." 

Such was the constitutional status of 
Fiume until April 29, 1919. 

Minister Antonio Scialoa has written thus 
of the Fiume resolution: "As professor of 
law, ever laying aside all sentiments as an 
Italian, I state this resolution is indestruc- 
tible unless it be destroyed by violence. 



112 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Who could prevent the free Italian commu- 
nity of Fiume from making use of its right? 
The autonomy of Fiume, by the collapse of 
the Hungarian crown, has become political- 
ly independent so that by its decisions the 
National Council gave expression to a free 
will and productive sovereign of a sole judi- 
cial right. Through its representatives, the 
Republic of Fiume wishes to be joined to 
the mother land, in sphere of greater liberty. 
Whosoever would deny the judicial value 
of this solemn act would contradict the prin- 
ciples laid down by President Wilson and 
the law of public right accepted by all free 
people.' ' 

The Italian character of Fiume is indis- 
putably proved, besides, by its official cen- 
sus. According to the return for 1910, the 
Italians in Fiume numbered 24,000, less 6,- 
000 Italian citizens, most of whom were 
members of Italian families in Fiume who 
had obtained Italian citizenship. The Slavs 
(Croats, Serbs, Slovenes) were 12,000; the 
Magyars, is borne out by official statistics 
as a matter of fact, and the number of Ital- 
ians belonging to the permanent population 
of Fiume before the war is well proven by 
official figures, even though they are known 
to be manipulated against Italian interest. 

Moreover, the nationality of Fiume is con- 
firmed by the fact that all mayors and depu- 
ties of the city, as well as the members of the 
Municipal Council, have always been Ital- 
ian. All schools in Fiume are Italian; the 
number of children attending the Croatian 
schools at Sussak, the neighboring city, is 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 113 

hardly one per cent of the total number of 
school children in Fiume. 

The Jugo-Slav commerce passing through 
Fiume is only seven per cent of the whole 
traffic of the port. Of the total Jugo-Slav 
importations and exportations, thirteen per 
cent goes through Fiume and 87 per cent 
goes through Dalmatian ports. 

Since April 29th, 1919, the constitutional 
situation of Fiume has changed, according 
to the telegram sent to ex-President Wilson 
by the National Council: "The population 
of Fiume, assembled under the Italian flag 
in the presence of representatives of the 
glorious American Army, replies to your 
proclamations by enforcing full power over 
the city upon the representatives of the 
Italian government. 

"In the name of our dead on the Piave 
and on the Isonzo, we express to you our 
greatest gratitude for provoking with your 
attitude the highest and most solemn mani- 
festations in favor of Italian sentiment 
which this city could make before the world. 

"We inform you that Fiume 's union with 
Italy is an accomplished fact." 

Neither General Grazioli, Commander of 
the Allied troops and Military Governor of 
Fiume, nor the Italian government accepted 
officially the annexation to Italy because 
they wanted to act in full agreement with 
the Allies, but its Italian character seems 
undeniably established. 



CHAPTEK Vni. 

DALMATIA: ITS HISTORICAL STATUS. 

Dalmatia, cut oif from the Balkans by the 
mountains, is joined to Italy by the sea. 
Some conditions studied with great interest 
by geologists lead to the supposition that 
before the Adriatic became a sea it was a 
continuation of the Paduan plain, even now 
the Adriatic seems less like a sea than like 
a great lake within the territory which is 
bounded to the east by the Julian and Di- 
naric Alps and to the west by the Apen- 
nines. 

West of the Dinaric Alps lie Istria, Dal- 
matia and the whole basin of the Adriatic, 
while on the eastern slopes of those moun- 
tains is formed the great orthographic ba- 
sin of the Danube River into which run all 
the rivers of Jugo-Slavia (the Save, the 
Drave and others) and on which is built the 
future metropolis of the new common- 
wealth, Belgrade. None of the Jugo-Slavic 
rivers run into the Adriatic. The Danube 
is the orthographic and economic outlet of 
Croatia and the other Jugo-Slav countries 
from Vienna to the Black Sea. 

On the eastern shores of the Adriatic 
there dwelt in ancient times the Illyrians 
who to the north and in the outposts of the 
Alps merged with the Celts and to the south 
with the Greeks. Divided into many peo- 
ples bearing different names, they gradually 
gathered into two groups, the Lithuanians 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 115 

and the Dalmatians, separated by the River 
Tizio, now the Cherca. 

Dahnatia was a Roman colony as early as 
two centuries before Christ. Dahnatia gave 
Rome one of her greatest emperors in the 
person of Diocletian, whose monumental 
palaces, completed the year 303 A. D., are 
still pointed out with pride by the natives 
of Spalato as worthy to rank among the 
"seven wonders. " In the same way "most 
Italian Fiume" points to the triumphal arch 
of another Roman Emperor, Claudius II, 
and to her Venetian Basilica of San Vito; 
and Sebenico's Cathedral, also of Venetian 
origin and design, is pride of all Dahnatia. 

The Cathedral of Santa Anastasia in 
Zara, capital of the "Kingdom of Dahna- 
tia " (as its official name still is), was foun- 
ded in 1202 by Enrico Dandolo, Doge of 
Venice. Her campanile di Santa Maria .is 
a century older. Zara has also preserved 
with care her old Roman tower, her Roman 
aqueduct, and her ancient Loggia del Com- 
mune, with its 34,000 volumes and in- 
valuable manuscripts in Latin and other 
languages. Merely to mention Dahnatia 's 
Roman and Venetian antiquities and ar- 
cheological remains would fill volumes. 

Many of the greatest among Italian poets 
and authors were natives of Dalmatia. 
Tommaseo is one of them. The whole east- 
ern coast of the Adriatic has given to Rome, 
Venice and Italy down to the present day, 
thousands upon thousands of patriots, sol- 
diers, and martyrs. Oberdan of Trieste, 
and Sauro of Capo d'Istria (Istria) are 



116 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

among the latest and greatest, along with 
Rismondo of Spalato (Dalmatia), who have 
honored and hallowed Austria's scaffold in 
1917 by dying upon it for Italy's sake. Sev- 
eral of the political refugees from the east- 
ern coast of the Adriatic have become Min- 
isters of the Kingdom of Italy; two of them, 
General Zupelli, a native of Capo d'Istria 
(Istria), and Hon. Barzilai, a native of 
Trieste, were Ministers during the recent 
War. 

Dalmatian civilization has always been, 
as it is today, despite all the Austrian and 
Croatian attacks upon it, purely Latin and 
Italian. Balkan Oriental civilization be- 
gins beyond the waterhead of the Dinaric 
Alps which mark the natural frontier be- 
tween the Balkans and Dalmatia. The Dal- 
matian contributions to the mother country 
in science, literature, and art, military sci- 
ence, have been noteworthy in every age. 
St. Jerome, to whom we owe the Vulgate, 
was a Dalmation. The Dominus, Bishop of 
Trau, was a native of Silencio. Trau was 
the cradle of the most distinguished classi- 
cal scholars of Cinquecento, while the his- 
torian, Giovanni Lucio, was also a native of 
that city. The name of Ugo Frascolo, who 
received his early education at Spalato from 
Nicolo Tommaseo, a native of Spalato, 
would alone suffice to shed literary glory on 
Dalmatia. 

The Adriatic Sea was for upwards of 
twenty centuries a Latin lake, the "Mare 
Nostrum" of Rome, then of Venice, includ- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 117 

ing the whole eastern coast. From 1805 to 
1815, it was a province of the Kingdom of 
Italy. After the fall of Napoleon at Water- 
loo, the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, handed 
over Venice, Istria and Dalmatia to Austria. 
In 1848 Venice arose and revived the an- 
cient Republic and for eighteen months held 
at bay, single-handed, the forces of the 
whole Austrian Empire. She was subdued 
only by starvation and cholera, and her an- 
cient dominions were plunged into deeper 
and more abject servitude. 

But it was when the new Kingdom of 
Italy came into existence, in 1861, that the 
worst came for the Italian Regent under 
Austrian rule. The Austrian government 
started in earnest to transform the Adriatic 
into a German lake and to do away with the 
Italian language in Trentino, Gorizia, Tri- 
este, Piume, Istria and Dalmatia. The out- 
rageous conditions under which Italians of 
Italian Irredenta were kept led to the war 
of 1866 and freed Venice. The cities of the 
Dalmatian coast made great preparations 
to give Italy's fleet a royal welcome, but the 
defeat of Lissa by Tegethoff prevented its 
landing. Austria then adopted a cruel and 
vindictive policy against Dalmatia. The 
Dalmatian revolution occurred in 1869 and 
this gave the Austrian government a pre- 
text for wholesale execution. Murderous 
Croatian bands were let loose in Dalmatia 
where they perpetrated the most unspeak- 
able horrors, second to none that were to be 
committed later by the Huns in Belgium or 
Servia. The scaffold, wholesale slaughter 



118 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

and banishment depopulated whole sec- 
tions. Some of the victims made their 
escape to Italy, others across the Dinaric 
Alps, where they met with some humanity 
at the hands of the Turkish authorities. 
But 1878 came and the Congress of Berlin, 
which allotted to these former Turkish ter- 
ritories and extended her rule over both 
slopes of the Dinaric Alps. From that hour 
the native Italian cause in Dalmatia and 
its vicinity seemed doomed, unless a mira- 
cle of Providence would intervene. 

Since 1878, Austria has been promoting a 
wholesale immigration of Croatian rabble 
from the former Turkish territories which 
have now adopted the name of "Jugosla- 
via," given them by the late Crown Prince 
of Austria, Francis Ferdinand, a few years 
before the recent war. Famished hordes, 
recently released from Mohammedan con- 
trol, crossed the Dinaric Alps, pounced upon 
defenceless Dalmatia and its old and mar- 
vellous civilization and, under government 
protection, endeavored to swamp the native 
element. They were given the franchise 
the day they landed there, and so they man- 
ipulated and debauched the political life 
that, up to the day of the recent armistice, 
political and municipal election in Dalmatia 
was a farce. 

The native Italian interests and cause in 
Dalmatia were looked upon henceforth as 
a forlorn hope. The first sledge-hammer 
blow was dealt at the native Italian schools, 
that had existed there from time immemo- 
rial. The native teachers were systemati- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 119 

cally dismissed and Croatian schools and 
teachers took their places. Italian was for- 
bidden. Italian children were compelled to 
attend Croatian schools and were cruelly 
discriminated against. The intruding teach- 
ers were ignorant, uncultured, and brutal, 
but they had full sway as to corporal pun- 
ishment. The press was gradually sup- 
pressed by the political machine under sin- 
ister plausibilities and monumental lies. 
" Obdurate' ' native editors and publishers 
were blacklisted and eventually sentenced 
to ruinous fines, long terms in jail, and ban- 
ished on the most preposterous pretexts. 
And an artificial Slav (Croatian) press was 
set up, sustained by the government under 
thin disguise. 

The honorable and highly respected na- 
tive Italian judiciary was also uproooted 
and disqualified by the same means. The 
judges were " retired' ' one by one, or " de- 
posed' ' on bogus complaints or formal, 
trumped up charges, while a set of arrogant, 
corrupt and unscrupulous Croatian magis- 
trates were installed on the Dalmatian 
bench. To them, ever since, justice and fair- 
ness have been out of the question for the 
Italian " rebels," whose life in Dalmatia 
has been made a curse and a burden. 

It is no spirit of conquest which has im- 
pelled Italy to demand the return of the 
eastern shore of the Adriatic, but the love 
of justice and the desire for peace. Italy is 
a country profoundly liberal in spirit which 
will know well how to live in peace with all 
its neighbors, especially with the Slavs. 



CHAPTER IX. 

ITALY'S RIGHT TO HER CLAIMS. 

Fiume, historically and geographically, 
was a separate corporate body. It was even 
recognized as such by the government of 
the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which au- 
thorized Fiume to declare her own munici- 
pal government and to constitute her self 
autonomous. On October 18, 1918, Charles 
I., by virtue of a proclamation, permitted 
all the nationalities of his empire, Fiume in- 
cluded, to determine their own form of na- 
tional government. The proclamation, in 
part, was as follows : 

Austria, according to the wishes of its 
people, must become a federal state in which 
every race will constitute an autonomous 
body within its territory 

I shall endeavor to show why Fiume feels 
she is entitled to self-determination. 

On January 8, 1918, President Wilson de- 
clared before Congress his famous Fourteen 
Points, thereby giving notice to the world 
of America's stand in regard to the impor- 
tant issues of the international strife. It 
was in order to comply with these require- 
ments that Charles I., Emperor of the Aus- 
trian Empire, issued his proclamation. 

Soon after this, Fiume, through its repre- 
sentative the Honorable Andrea Ossoinack, 
in the Hungarian Parliament, declared, 
" Austria-Hungary having admitted the 
principle of self-determination in her peace 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 121 

proposals, Fiume as a corpus separatum, 
claims its right for itself. In accordance 
with this right, its wishes to exercise, with- 
out any kind of hindrance, the right of self- 
determination of the people, I shall make 
before this exalted House the following 
clear and concise statement: Fiume stands 
for the right of self-determination for her 
people." 

A few days following Fiume 's declaration 
in the Hungarian Parliament and accord- 
ing to the proclamation of Charles I., the 
several nationalities that composed the Aus- 
tria-Hungary Empire also made a declara- 
tion of self-determination. They were im- 
mediately recognized by the United States 
as Jugo-Slavia, the Polish Republic and the 
Republic of Czech-Slovachia — but until this 
day Fiume has yet to be recognized by 
America. 

Another assurance was given Fiume when 
Bonar Law, in the English House of Com- 
mons, on October 24, 1918, promised to those 
nationalities oppressed by Austria-Hun- 
gary that they would be admitted to parti- 
cipation in the Peace Conference in matters 
affecting their individual interests. 

But Fiume did not cease its efforts to 
accomplish its self-determination, and on 
October 30, 1918, four days before the armis- 
tice was signed, the people of Fiume gath- 
ered and adopted the following resolution: 

"The Italian National Council of Fiume, 
assembled today in full session, declares 
that by reason of that right whereby all 
the nations have attained independence and 



122 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

liberty, the city of Fiume, which up to now 
was a * separate body,' constituting an Ital- 
ian National Commune, also claims for itself 
the right of self-determination. Taking its 
stand on this right, the National Council 
proclaims Fiume united to its motherland, 
Italy. The Italian National Council consid- 
ers as provisional the state of things that 
commenced on October 29, 1918, AND IT 
PLACES ITS RIGHT UNDER THE PRO- 
TECTION OF AMERICA, THE MOTHER 
OF LIBERTY AND OF UNIVERSAL 
DEMOCRACY, and it awaits the sanction 
of the Peace Congress.' ' 

With all the previous assurances given to 
Fiume, the National Council of the City sent 
a delegate to the Peace Conference. He was 
not admitted, although this was a clear vio- 
lation of her national standing, for she was 
not placed on the same equality as other op- 
pressed and delivered nationalities. The 
Peace Conference, regardless of the effort 
of the Proclamation of Charles I. for the 
right of self-determination, and in violation 
of the House of Commons, thus refused rec- 
ognition to Fiume \s representative, but the 
delegate deputy Ossoinack was allowed the 
•privilege of a private conference with mem- 
bers of the Conference, among whom was 
President Wilson, to explain and declare 
his claims for the people he represented. 

This total disregard of Fiume's rights did 
not discourage the National Council of the 
city and thev presented to the Peace Con- 
ference briefs in support of their claims, 
the receipt of which was acknowledged by 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 123 

the Conference under date of March 28, 
1919. These briefs asked that the decisions 
by this council on October 30, 1918, should 
be sanctioned by the Peace Conference. 

Fiume, again, by virtue of its undisputed 
right of self-government, on April 18, 1919, 
decided a second time by a plebiscite to be 
united to the Kingdom of Italy. All the 
commercial bodies and civic clubs were 
unanimously in support of this decision. 
The City of Fiume sent more than seventy 
telegrams to the Peace Conference, asking 
unconditional annexation to Italy and the 
Municipality and National Council sent the 
following despatch, which is signed by Pres- 
ident Grossich: — 

"The National Council which, on October 
30, 1918, solemnly declared the union of 
Fiume to Italy, and placed its plebiscite un- 
der the protection of America, expects from 
the conference the indication that its right, 
justice and liberty be determined according 
to the unanimous wish of the people of 
Fiume. In these hours, when the fate of 
Fiume is being decided, the National Coun- 
cil appeals to the sense of justice of the con- 
ference, expressing its firm faith that on the 
plebiscite, based upon the cardinal princi- 
ples of ex-President Wilson, will be ratified 
by the conference. Fiume, which in 1720, 
1779, 1867 and 1918, decided its own fate 
for itself, reaffirms by a plebiscite vote its 
indestructible ri^ht to self-determination 
and its unalterable will to belong to Italy." 

It was not long after the previous tele- 
gram was sent that the people of Fiume 



124 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

again made themselves heard. On May 31, 
following a conference between Ex-Premier 
Orlando and the representative of Fiume, 
on the internationalization of the port of 
Fiume, the National Council of Fiume, on 
learning of the subject of the conference, 
odapted a resolution as follows: 

"To a Council that refuses the rights of 
man, we answer no. We are Italians and 
not a savage tribe: and, above all, we are 
men who cannot believe that nations of a 
Washington, of a Victor Hugo, of a Glad- 
stone, dare to shoot their cannon against a 
little indefensible town. We are, now and 
forevermore, proud of our liberty and our 
Italian blood." 

It, moreover, sent an appeal to the Chair- 
man of the Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Lodge, who referred it to the Unit- 
ed States Senate on June 6, 1919. Who at 
the same time it informed the Peace Confer- 
ence not to consider further the rights of 
the people of Fiume, as they would be per- 
fectly satisfied to entrust their faith and 
their liberty to America. 

The United States Senate, in considering 
the treaty of peace, must consider the posi- 
tion of Fiume. It must necessarily demand 
that the treaties that will be entered into 
with the enemies shall respect the right of 
nationality and heed the voice of the op* 
pressed people of the world who long: for 
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Fiume 
has always fought against foreign oppres- 
sion. Permit me to quote what an Italian, 
who fought for twenty years for the re- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 125 

demption of Fiume, says in that connection: 

"Frame is Italian by the blood that flows 
in her veins, by the words of her mouth, and 
the burning desire of her heart." 

Fiume sent, as I have stated, to the Peace 
Conference at Versailles her own delegates, 
who made their wishes known. Our ex- 
President had previously interested himself 
in this question and on April 23, in Paris, 
referring to the Fiume situation, he said, in 
part: 

"The interests are not now in question, 
but the rights of peoples of States, new and 
old, of liberated peoples, and peoples whose 
rulers never accounted them worthy of a 
right; above all the right of the world to 
peace and to such settlement of interest as 
shall make peace secure." 

Senator Owen, on July 31, 1918, said be- 
fore the United States Senate : 

"Shall we doubt Italy? The Italian peo- 
ple have shown themselves to be glorious in 
war and magnificent in peace. When Paris 
was about to be struck down by the advan- 
cing field gray troops of Germany, coming 
like swarms of locusts down upon the 
Marne, it was Italy that told the French 
statesmen, you should not guard the bor- 
ders between France and Italy. Italy will 
not staud by Germany in a war of aggres- 
sion. Italy made a treaty with Germany 
and Austria; a defensive alliance against 
aggression on Germany and Austria but not 
by Germany and Austria on undefended 
borders of others or any unprovoked assault 
upon their neighbors. Shall we question 



126 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Italy when the Italians by tens of thousands 
and hundreds of thousands died for a com- 
mon cause with us?" 

Those of us who were privileged to be in 
Italy during the conflict saw marked evi- 
dence of her great sacrifices, the spirit 
which she instilled into the war and the 
great part which she continually contrib- 
uted. Well do I remember during the time 
I was in Italy, when I toured from north to 
south for over five months, and as I went 
from town to town I had opportunities to 
see the marked sufferings of the people as 
well as the unusual contributions to the 
cause which were given so freely by both 
the civilian and the military population. 

I could conclude here and stand on 
Piume's inalienable right, but we may con- 
sider further this question in relation to 
conditions of today. 

Fiume is Italian by population, by lan- 
guage, geography and history, as well as by 
all that makes up a nation. Its Italian char- 
acter was recognized by even the Austro- 
Hungarian Empire. In Fiume, all the may- 
ors, the deputies, the members of the 
municipal council, the members of the 
Chamber of Commerce and of the Courts 
have always been Italian. Therefore it is 
self-evident that they can think for them- 
selves and that they should dispose of their 
own fate. Who can deny them the right to 
join their mother coutnry? 

The Italian soldiers entered the war to 
aid the cause of civilization; they possessed 
the same ideals as our boys who fought and 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 127 

I" 

shed their blood at Belleau Woods and Cha- 
teau-Thierry. But Italy at the same time 
fought to safeguard her national existence. 
The safety of the world depends upon the 
rectification of her natural boundaries. The 
annexation of the provinces of Venetia, 
Julia, Fiume and part of Dalmatia is the 
completion of the Italian national and geo- 
graphical unit for that unit which the Ital- 
ians have been struggling for long years 
with perfect faith in the justice of her cause. 

The world knows Italy's services in this 
war, and, in spite of her severe handicaps, 
the part which she played for the cause of 
civilization. Italy does not seek expansion 
at the expense of any other nation. The 
Italians ask only for what rightfully be- 
longs to them. Their traditions and their 
ideals are incompatible with imperialistic 
aims, nor did they enter the war for selfish 
motives. They fought by the side of the 
Allies to right the wrong perpetrated upon 
civilization by the Central Powers. 

In 1914, Italy repudiated the Triple Alli- 
ance and declared her neutrality, thereby 
permitting France to use the army she had 
assembled on the Italian frontier. Again, 
in 1915, Italy renounced her neutrality and 
cast her lot with the Allies, thereby placing 
the Central Powers in a precarious situa- 
tion, as was stated by Ludendorf. This ac- 
tion, unquestionably, made final victory for 
the Allies possible. 

In November, 1917, contrary to the will of 
General Foch, Italy, assuming the entire re- 
sponsibility, checked the invasion at the 



128 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Piave and thereby saved Venice. At the 
same time she saved all the Adriatic from 
the Austrian conquest and by saving herself 
from total destruction she saved the cause 
of the Allies. 

Two events which, to my mind, have a 
greater bearing upon the successful out- 
come of the war than anything else, and 
which marked the turning point for the for- 
tunes of the Allies, were, first, the victori- 
ous stand of the Italian Army on the Piave, 
when overwhelmed by numbers, guns and 
ammunition, possessing inferior positions 
protected by hastily constructed fortifica- 
tons, it repulsed the Austrians; and, second, 
the victory of the American Marines at 
Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Woods. 

Italy, since the beginning of the war, en- 
rolled 5,000,000 soldiers, of these the losses 
in dead were 500,000 on the battlefields, and 
300,000 died of disease: in addition 500,000 
were permanently disabled. Italy was the 
only warring nation that called to her colors 
all her available manhood. Italy was the 
only warring nation that had her eighteen 
year old youth on the firing line, since May, 
1918. Italy, at the same time she entered 
the war, was a nation of 37,000,000 against 
Austria's 54,000,000. Austria had twenty 
more divisions than Italy, and be it remem- 
bered that an Austrian division is larger 
than an Italian division. Austria had 3,000 
more artillery pieces than Italy, this not 
only gave her a superiority in numbers but 
artillery is also considered technically su- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 129 

perior. Austria had, moreover, the vast ad- 
vantage of position. 

A great deal has been said about the sup- 
port that Italy received from the Allies, but 
I am frank to say that insofar as the mili- 
tary assistance given her is concerned she 
practically shifted for herself, with the ex- 
ception of three British Divisions, two 
French Divisions, one Czecho-Slovak Divis- 
ion and a United States Regiment, consist- 
ing of 3,600 men. On the other hand, Italy 
maintained in France a whole army corps, 
which was greater by far than the combined 
Allied divisions fighting on the Italian 
front. This army corps comprised the picked 
troops of the Italian Army, and gave unex- 
celled proof of their valor at the Battle of 
Rheims. 

In spite of the appalling handicaps under 
which the Italian army was operating, with 
insufficient reserves, 51 Italian divisions 
and one regiment of Americans were or- 
dered by General Diaz, on the night of Oc- 
tober 24, 1918, to begin a major offensive ex- 
tending from Brenta to the sea. This final 
blow resulted in the complete rout of the 
formidable Austrian army, causing the sur- 
render of 500,000 men and the capture of 
unlimited quantities of booty. Thus was 
Austria definitely rendered helpless, and 
thus was final victory assured to the Allied 
armies. The victory of the Italian army 
most assuredly brought victory to the Allies 
for, without the surrender of Austria, it is 
a matter of conjecture whether Germany 
would have sought peace as soon as she did. 



130 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

To deny Italy the right to defend the 
claims for her boundaries, or to accuse her 
of being imperialistic because she defends 
the rights of her oppressed sons, means to 
deny her the reward for the immense sacri- 
fices she has made and the blood she has 
shed on the battlefields in the cause of hu- 
manity. If Fiume is denied to the Italians 
and ceded to Croatia, it will mean continu- 
ous disturbances and there will never be 
peace in the Adriatic. 

Under the advantage of Italian civiliza- 
tion, the local government of Fiume can 
guarantee the widest liberties to the Jugo- 
slavs. On the other hand, the Jugo-Slav 
government, still an unknown entity, com- 
posed of many conflicting factions, is pre- 
paring the repetition of the Austrian-Hun- 
garian coalition which has been destroyed 
by the arms of liberty, and which would fa- 
cilitate also the renewing of Teutonic influ- 
ences in the Balkans. Not improbably, too, 
it would favor the Bolshevic Slav's wave 
that is spreading towards the Adriatic. It 
would, therefore, be impossible for the 
Jugo-Slavs to attempt to protect the Ital- 
ians. 

In compliance with this fundamental 
principle of her national unity and her inde- 
pendence, Italy opposed in 1913 the Aus- 
trian plan of aggression against Serbia. In 
order to protect Serbia's national integrity 
Italy refused to take up arms together with 
Austria. It was for the national cause of 
Belgium and Serbia that Italy went to war 
in 1915, and it was in order to favor Serbia 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 131 

that Italy renounced in the Treaty of Lon- 
don a portion of Dalmatia and guaranteed to 
the Serbian people not only one but several 
outlets to the sea. Italy did not demand for 
her strategical defense the whole of Dalma- 
tia but one-sixth of Dalmatia. It is true 
that in the Treaty of London Fiume was al- 
lotted to Croatia, but that was a concession 
to Russia, forced by the circumstances. 
Russia promised to sustain against Austria 
the complete cause of Italy, and this obliga- 
tion was not fulfilled when Russia deserted 
the common battlefield. In protecting Ser- 
bia, Russia was following her own interests 
to accomplish the Pan-Slavic program and 
to maintain a steady menace against Italy; 
this explains her successful insistence in ob- 
taining also Ragus and Cattaro, which are 
nothing but military stations. 

In 1917 the whole weight of the powerful 
Austro-Hungarian army was thrown 
against Italy, causing enemy invasion and 
brutal devastation of Italian territory. Rus- 
sia failed to fulfill her obligation and thus 
eliminated herself from the Peace Confer- 
ence. Italy, therefore, is no longer bound 
to fulfill her own obligation towards the peo- 
ple with which Russia had joined in her pro- 
gram. This part of the treaty, moreover, 
encroaches upon the right of self-determi- 
nation of the people of Fiume. 

When Italy ceded Fiume to Croatia, she 
did not intend to give that city to a coalition 
of Austrian nationalities which, under the 
form of Jugo-Slavia, would resurrect her 
old enemy. It is these same Jugo-Slavs who 



132 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

had fought up to the last moment (the sec- 
ond of November, 1918) when Field Marshal 
Boroevic, the Austrian General, received 
orders from the National Council of Zaga- 
bria, the capital of Croatia, in plot with the 
Imperial and Royal authorities of Vienna, 
to rob the Allies of the Austrian fleet at 
Pola (October 31, 1918) which was assigned 
by the terms of the armistice to the Allies. 
The Croatia to which the Treaty of London 
refers would have been that autonomous 
portion of territory which, under that name, 
would have survived the Austrian-Hunga- 
rian Monarchy, against which Italy was 
fighting in order to deliver its oppressed na- 
tionalities. 

It is, therefore, clear that this new Croa- 
tia which would have included Fiume should 
have been a nation friendly to Italy, and one 
which would co-operate with Italy to main- 
tain peace and cordial relations in the Adri- 
atic. It is inconceivable that Italy would 
be willing in 1915 to substitute one enemy 
nation for another enemy nation. And it is 
illogical that she should be asked today to 
give Fiume to a new enemy after she had 
delivered her from a previous enemy. It is 
perfectly useless to demonstrate that Croa- 
tia today is bitterly unfriendly toward 
Italy. The present outbreaks only prove 
that nothing has changed in the nature of 
the people who made such a large use of the 
Hunnish spike-clubs. This justifies Italy's 
apprehensions and her necessity of guaran- 
teeing herself against future menace if the 
peace of Europe is to be preserved. Italy, 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 133 

with her perfect and liberal order of gov- 
ernment, is in herself a guarantee of peace 
in the Adriatic and of freedom of navigation 
for all peoples through the influencing of her 
type of civilization and through the added 
authority she receives from the co-operation 
in Balkan affairs. 

Italy is a country of great resources. She 
possesses a great people, great energy and 
great ideals and she is tired of depending 
politically and economically on Germany. 
The spirit of Italy refuses to participate in 
any combination of balance of power. Eng- 
lish dominance forbids Italy to reach her 
development in the Mediterranean and in 
the world. 

The United States has an interest in 
maintaining peace in the Mediterranean 
and in guaranteeing to European peoples 
the liberty that is the fruit of a war which 
has been so costly in both money and Ameri- 
can blood. 

If Italy needs food and coal, it is because 
she has given whatever she had for the com- 
mon cause of her Allies and associates. 
What better treatment has been accorded 
to the Germans, Austrians, Croatians and 
Hungarians than the treatment that they 
have received at our hands when we fur- 
nished them with food and coal. 

Italy wants to be a close friend of the 
United States. In America there are three 
million Italians who contribute to the pros- 
erity of our great Republic and who have 
given, according to statistics published by 
Mr. George Creel of the Committee on Pub- 



134 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

lie Information, 300,000 soldiers to the Unit- 
ed States Army. They are the most power- 
ful spiritual link between America and 
Italy. 

After four years of suffering, of destruc- 
tion, of hardships, the people of this world 
have entered upon a new era of interna- 
tional justice. Italy's claims will be granted 
to her, not only because of her sacrifices in 
this war, but also because truth and justice 
demand the security of her territory and 
the safety of her race and civilization. 




THE KING 

Italy's most democratic and best beloved citizen 



CHAPTER X. 

ITALY'S KING. 

Italy, especially, during the war, revealed 
to the world a great King. Before May, 
1915, King Victor Emmanuel was known as 
an honest and studious man, a wise and in- 
telligent head of a nation, but the war re- 
vealed a figure which truly personifies the 
New Italy. 

He lived intimately the life of his soldiers. 
Economical persons are rarely popular, 
though theirs is often the loftiest generos- 
ity. From a King, above all others, extrav- 
agance is expected: some moral courage 
was, therefore, necessary when Victor Em- 
manuel decided to dispense with all unnec- 
essary pomp and luxury, setting an exam- 
ple to a poor country. He demonstrated 
with actions how to keep the faith to one's 
ideal, and his honesty demonstrated his love 
for his people as it never could have been 
shown before the war. 

He became the most democratic of Kings, 
a citizen among citizens, a modest and good 
man. He is the most popular man in the 
kingdom today, yet there is no special need 
to marvel, for he has always been first and 
foremost wherever there was a whisper of 
danger. Surely no one can have forgotten 
the magnificent devotion with which he 
toiled and exposed himself during the great 
cholera epidemic at Naples and the earth- 
quakes of Messina and Calabria. 



136 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

It is his simplicity and modesty which 
endear him almost as much as his courage, 
for Italians are simple and natural people. 
He has never grovelled to his subjects as 
some mock monarchs do. With all his affa- 
bility he is as proud and independent as any 
old Roman. He is usually very calm, very 
severe, and at the same time very human. 
His hair begins to grow gray and there are 
furrows on his forehead and beside his 
mouth, yet he bears himself like a young 
man, walking fast and never tiring. He 
speaks little and simply, with a crisp, manly 
voice, but always to the point; he has a way 
of laughing with his eyes, looking men full 
in the face with magnetic effect, awaking 
strong feelings of affection wherever he 
goes. 

He rather welcomed familiarity from the 
soldiers, who treated him much as they 
would any officer — perhaps more freely. He 
was just one of them, yet none ever took ad- 
vantage of his good nature, though many 
expressed their fears for his safety with ex- 
cessive frankness. 

He scarcely ever used his automobile on 
his way to the front. He would take the 
train ait Udine, like a common traveler, and 
he was usually patient with the long stops. 
He never used a special train and was al- 
ways content very often with a single com- 
partment. 

He buzzed about the front in a little gray 
motor, without clattering escorts, armies of 
cooks, or any comforts. He slept little and 
cared not where. He was quite happy in an 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 137 

Alpine hut or in a barn, and enjoyed rough- 
ing it immensely. Whenever it was neces- 
sary for him to spend the night with the 
soldiers he always made it quite evident 
that he must sleep under the same condi- 
tions. It was not uncommon for him to say, 
"I can always sleep as you have slept. Like 
you, I am a soldier of Italy." His food was 
of the simplest, a little cold meat or salame, 
bread and cheese and chocolate ; and he was 
always ready to share it with the nearest 
soldier. The little gray car carried a large 
supply of cigarettes which he distributed 
lavishly. 

When, at the beginning of the first win- 
ter, a general asked him if, during the 
months of inactivity, he would return to his 
family, he solemnly answered: "Why should 
I return home? Today my family is Italy. 
My children are all the soldiers who are 
fighting. Why should I abandon them 
while they remain V When it was neces- 
sary for him to be in Rome at times, due to 
affairs of state, he only stayed away from 
his Venetian home as long as it was abso- 
lutely necessary. 

He was, indeed, the soldier among sol- 
diers — always at his post. No king has de- 
served more the faith and love of his people 
than this simple and good soldier who for 
three years sacrificed his life in the midst 
of the dangers of the trenches. 

He interested himself in all the thoughts 
and moods of the men with whom he came 
in contact, whether it was in having their 
mail speedily delivered or sending tele- 



138 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

grams to their homes. He never forgot the 
wounded. He visited many hospitals and 
gave words of comfort and appreciation. It 
was not uncommon to see him with glisten- 
ing eyes praying over a dying comrade. 
Here is a touching story of a soldier's last 
words: "For you, Majesty," the man cried 
as he stretched out his arms and gave up the 
spirit. "Not so, my son/' was the grave re- 
ply: "for Italy." 

Like Garibaldi and Napoleon, Victor Em- 
manuel exercised an unusual fascination for 
his armies and created a strong impression. 
The soldiers felt that the king was present 
everywhere; that he saw them, inspired 
them, commanded them and understood 
them. "I seem to be in luck," said a sol- 
dier; "for wherever I go I meet the King." 
As a matter of fact it was not luck at all, for 
he was everywhere. 

The example of generosity, faith, sacri- 
fices, and the great love which he has for his 
country could be repeated to cover many 
pages. I shall quote from one newspaper 
article which, after the armistice, demon- 
strated again his unfailing attitude towards 
his people. "King Victor Emmanuel has 
decided to surrender all the crown proper- 
ties in favor of the peasants and for national 
work for former soldiers. Premier Nitti, at 
one of the first sittings of Parliament, which 
is to be opened Wednesday, will make this 
announcement. The crown properties of 
Italy are larger than those of any country, 
since the House of Savoy inherited the prop- 
erties of the rulers of the eleven states into 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 139 

which Italy was divided before the King- 
dom became united. During the war the 
King gave over his splendid royal palace 
at Caserta, the Castel Mascali di Piedmont, 
for the use of his soldiers. His intention 
now is that the vast lands which he pos- 
sesses, virtually in every region of Italy, 
shall go to the peasants who fought in the 
war, while his palaces, castles and other 
buildings shall be utilized for philanthropic 
purposes. In addition the King has ex- 
pressed a wish that his private patrimony 
be taxed like that of any other citizen. 
Thus, the King's civil list, amounting to 
about $3,000,000 yearly, will be done away 
with or greatly diminished, as the monarch 
used it entirely to administer the crown 
properties or for charitable purposes.' ' 

King Victor Emmanuel has become one 
of the great servants of justice and human- 
ity. With his usual energy and the charac- 
teristics so well revealed during the war, 
he will give Italy complete unity and the 
life of the new times. History will call him 
"Vittorio the Victorious." 



CHAPTER XI. 

ITALY'S NEEDS. 

The questions which first arise in the 
minds of those who follow with interest the 
economic and financial processes for the re- 
adjustment of Italy is to know which are 
her greatest needs, what is her political as 
well as her economic condition, and how far 
Italy may rely upon the potential and ac- 
tual productive energy of her people. 

In considering the needs and conditions 
of Italy, it is necessary first to strip all ex- 
aggerations from those reports which have 
been spread about to discredit her abroad 
and especially in the United States. 

For some time — in fact, ever since the 
armistice — malicious rumors have been 
spread about stating that Italy is on the 
brink of political and financial ruin. If this 
were true she ought to be begging for the 
charity of others and ready to accept the aid 
of covetous usurers on any conditions. 
Italy, on the contrary, stands fast on her in- 
stitutions, trusting in her own resources. 
It is true she has been and is going through 
a momentary crisis but that is common to 
other nations and is the consequence of the 
great conflict from which they have come 
out exhausted. 

Italy, however, in speaking of her needs, 
asks only for co-operation based on recipro- 
cal advantages in honest and equitable con- 
tracts. The charity comes from Italy who, 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 141 

although in financial straits, is generously 
giving to her enemies, by helping the chil- 
dren of her former enemy, Austria. 

Italy is politically solid and never before 
were the people of Italy so far from think- 
ing seriously of revolution as at the present 
time. The sporadic efforts of a few have 
shown the firmness and the solidity of the 
majority, which is aiming only at strength- 
ening the economic conditions and the well- 
being of the nations. 

The Italians are settling down to the real- 
ization that the guarantee of the future of 
their country is to be found in the greater 
production of economic needs and a return 
to normal conditions. The problem of the 
high cost of living will be brought near 
solution when the industrial groups have 
accepted this need for increased output, and 
as long as this feeling permeates the mass 
of the Italian people any fear of Adriatic 
Bolshevism will be unfounded. 

To insure this greater production, Italy 
finds herself handicapped by a shortage of 
the material with which to recoup her in- 
dustries and resume normal operations. 
When once the channels of trade begin to 
assume their ordinary functions and Italy 
receives the raw material and food neces- 
sary to keep her industrial processes in op- 
eration there will be no need for apprehen- 
sion of any violence within the country. 

The isolated cases of violence with which 
Italy has been visited have been the result 
of reaction from a war to a peace basis aud, 
therefore, are not indicative of the normal 



142 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

feeling of the Italian people. Italy does not 
want a revolution and, above all, her work- 
ing men do not want it. Ex-Premier Nitti 
some months ago well stated his ambition 
to have the workingmen's leaders partici- 
pate in the affairs of the government, per- 
severing persistently to solve the problems 
of increased production and better living 
conditions for their families. These would 
constitute a veritable bulwark against the 
more violent, who have been asserting them- 
selves moreover in all parts of the world. 

It is sound policy that strict guardianship 
of public order must be assured. There is 
no democracy without order. The working 
class which, according to enemies of Italy, 
is eager for revolution, is now largely repre- 
sented in Parliament by the Socialists and 
the Populars. The strikes, which perhaps 
elsewhere show a decided political aspect, 
have in Italy always been of a purely eco- 
nomic character; and, after all, have never 
been as grave as those of some other coun- 
tries. 

During the year 1921 in Italy, the strikes 
affecting the industries have been greatly 
reduced. In fact, a comparison of statistics 
for this year with those of last year shows 
that the decrease has been 66 per cent on 
strikes and 83 per cent on the number of 
strikers and working days lost. The above 
reduction brings the strikes' intensity to an 
average lower than the one prevailing dur- 
ing the ten years before the great war. The 
outcome of same has been generally unsuc- 
cessful and only in few cases it was partially 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 148 

favorable. The industries mostly affected 
by strike were building, construction, ship- 
building, metal and machinery, mining and 
textile. In order to relieve unemployment 
many public works have been awarded. 

In regard to the principal needs of Italy 
they are common with those of the other 
countries which have come out of the war 
exhausted. Italy needs co-operation. It is 
not sufficient to offer a nation the raw mate- 
rial which is necessary for the rebuilding of 
her industries and her commerce but it be- 
hooves one to offer such raw material at a 
just cost and thus making its acquisition 
not impossible. 

The rate of exchange in all countries but 
especially in that of Italy has depreciated 
in the American exchange to a marked ex- 
tent. The value of the Italian lire, which 
during the normal ante-bellum times was 
5.17, has reached as high as 26.50. Thus if 
the Italian buyers must purchase anything 
in America they are compelled to pay some- 
times as high as 300% in exchange in addi- 
tion to the high cost of transportation. 

Italy needs many goods which could be 
supplied by the United States, but, given 
this disastrous state of affairs, she will have 
to deprive herself of many necessary arti- 
cles, retarding her reconstruction and with- 
out any advantage to either side. There is 
also a decided loss to the United States, 
whose over-production could easily be dis- 
posed of in the foreign markets. Because 
of this the United States might well offer 
Italy reasonable aid, not only financially, 



144 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

but also as a means of facilitating a friendly 
nation in the work of reconstruction. 

If Italy asks for the co-operation of others 
and especially of the United States, she also 
offers a vast field for the utilization of capi- 
tal and raw material. One should bear in 
mind that Italy, though hampered by lack 
of coal and raw material, was able to create 
and develop to the maximum all her war 
industries. It must be admitted that if the 
Italian people with a limited amount of coal, 
metal, oil, cotton and wool were able to per- 
form as successfully their task in the World 
War, they cannot lack now energy and re- 
sourcefulness in this period of reconstruc- 
tion. 

Italy is the richest country in the world 
in potential power. There is an immense 
quantity of water gushing from her moun- 
tain sides which today wastes itself in small 
torrents and unhealthy swamps, but which 
will in the near future run through works 
arranged so as to distribute all over the 
country an everlasting source of energy, 
heat, light and motion. But when Italy is 
able to make use of her water, so that she 
will have electrified her railroads and sub- 
stituted electricity for coal, she will have 
assured her freedom and economical inde- 
pendence. 

In the meantime, Italy *s paramount need 
is for coal : to obtain it is a vital problem and 
intimately connected with all others. It is, 
in fact, necessary for Italy today for the 
restoration of her industries, for shipyards 
and railroads. Before the war, Italy im- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 145 

ported ten million tons of coal every year 
from England and a smaller amount from 
France, Germany and America. Today, 
America ought to supply her with many mil- 
lions of tons. 

The chemical industry in Italy is of some 
importance. In order to assume a normal 
output of chemical products she is in need 
of raw material. Italy desires to give this 
industry the best possible development so 
as to establish a large export trade. She 
has a good deal of sulphur, pyrites, salts and 
other raw materials and she needs only a 
relatively small quantity of other raw ma- 
terials which she does not possess. Italy 
has some good chemists, able engineers, and 
skilled workers, while the electric power is 
relatively cheap. 

Other important things Italy asks for are 
metals. Before the war she used nearly two 
million tons of iron and steel, of which a 
hundred thousand tons were imported from 
England, Germany and Austria. The rest 
were contributed by Italy herself but she 
now needs five hundred thousand tons at 
the least from America alone. Italy has 
sore need of these metals for the work of 
reconstruction in connection with the build- 
ing and developing of her railroads, the re- 
building of her bridges and the completion 
of her naval constructions, so as to increase 
and replace the enormous tonnage destroyed 
by the war. 

Because of Italy's great losses during the 
war her situation in regard to transporta- 
tion is most critical. She may remedy this, 



146 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

first, by rebuilding the ships needed; second, 
by chartering and buying ships from the 
United States; third, by getting America to 
reduce her freight rates ; and to help form a 
corporation with mixed capital, Italian and 
American, for furnishing steel plates and 
other materials necessary for the construc- 
tion of ships. The work can be done by 
Italian workingmen. 

Furthermore, metals are needed for agri- 
cultural machines, for machinery to be used 
in the manufacturing of silk and cotton as 
well as for new railroads. Tin sheets, es- 
pecially, are needed for the development of 
the industry of canned goods, as is brass for 
electric plants and for the electric railroads. 
From July, 1914, to July, 1919, the capital 
invested in Italy by companies engaged in 
the electrical industries amounted to seven 
hundred and fifty millions of lire. This 
wonderful development shows Italy's deter- 
mination to excel in this field. 

The interest of America in Italy must be 
heightened by the great markets that are 
offered there. Before the war, Italy's for- 
eign commerce amounted to more than a 
billion dollars. This was chiefly divided 
among the European powers, with Germany 
leading all the rest, both in imports and ex- 
ports. The war left this market in a chaotic 
state. It is now ready for exploitation by 
American business — ready for American 
wares, and waiting for commercial inter- 
course which will alike benefit both the 
United States and Italy. 

Producers and merchants in Italy are im- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 147 

patiently waiting for the great work of eco- 
nomic reconstruction. Scientists are striv- 
ing to obtain the maximum quantity of raw 
materials from Nature's resources in order 
to supply national industries. Programs of 
research have been formed. Many who are 
interested in intensifying the productive 
energy of Italy are working to promote and 
centralize the work of developing its mate- 
rial richness. 

Helium, which is derived in great quanti- 
ties from certain springs of natural gas n 
Tuscany, is being utilized for aeronautical 
purposes. It is the lightest gas known after 
hydrogen. The United States discovered 
the possibilities of this gas after Italy had 
completed plans for its industrial employ- 
ment, and today dirigibles in the United 
States are inflated with helium. 

Italy can derive from the earth copious 
metals for the welfare of its inhabitants. 
During the war we had excellent proof of 
this. The iron mines of Italy have only a 
small production (valued at 40,000 tons), 
but refractory metals of great importance 
in the construction of siderurgical ovens can 
be found in the vast beds of the peninsula. 
For copper and tin, Italy must resort to im- 
portation, but she will have first place in the 
production and exporting of mercury. She 
is self-sufficient so far as antimonium is 
concerned. Sulphate mines, in addition to 
the well-known sulphur mines, have been 
recently discovered in Sicily. 

The element, however, which will most 
benefit Italy industrially is the vast water- 



148 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

power she possesses, which will be used to 
develop powerful electric energy. Italy's 
hydraulic force is oue of the most powerful 
in Europe. The electrization of Itail rail- 
ways might well be accomplished with the 
United States' assistance. With her enor- 
mous amount of capital and her production 
of electrical materials, America would have 
a large field of activity in the greatest na- 
tion of the Mediterranean. 

Besides her hydraulic force, Italy has a 
great wealth derived from the soil. The fer- 
tility of the land is in some regions unequal- 
led. Recently the Pugliese aqueduct was 
completed; this was a gigantic task, worthy 
of the Roman era, and one which would ex- 
cite the admiration of all Americans even 
though they may be acquainted with colos- 
sal engineering feats of all sorts. The 
benefits derived by this vast zone washed 
by the Adriatic will be far-reaching. A new 
life will have birth in that region, for a met- 
amorphosis in the system of soil cultivation 
will result in a greater fertility of those 
lands tilled by the untiring labor of the Ital- 
ian farmer, who will receive in exchange the 
prosperity to which he is entitled. 

Italy's war debt of $16,000,000,000 is be- 
ing met with fortitude and stoicism. 

The indications of the rapid recovery of 
Italy's financial condition are indeed grati- 
fying. The Treasury Department of the 
Italian Government reports for the fiscal 
year 1919 a yield from imports and taxes of 
7,217,000,000 lire, exceeding the amount es- 
timated by more than one-third, and also 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 149 

exceeding the revenue of the previous fiscal 
year by nearly if not quite one-quarter. 

It is interesting to note in round numbers 
some of the items in this remarkable ex- 
hibit: 

Lire 

Taxes on personal property 182,000,000 

Excess war profits 235,000,000 

Taxes on business transactions 454,000,000 

Taxes on manufactures 223,000,000 

Tobacco tax 295,000,000 

Taxes on Tobacco and Matches 50,000,000 

The financial statement presented by the 
Italian Ministry of Treasury in the Cham- 
ber of Deputies, shows the deficit of 12,000,- 
000,000 lire for the fiscal year 1920-1921 and 
the estimated deficit for the present fiscal 
year of 5,000,000,000, will be reduced to 3,- 
000,000,000 for the fiscal year 1922-1923. 
This remarkable result should be taken in 
just consideration for the fact that their 
budget includes all the expenses deriving 
from the war, taking also transitory ex- 
penses, like reconstruction of invaded and 
liberated territory and of the Merchant Ma- 
rine, partially destroyed during the war. 
For the next financial year is already anti- 
cipated a reduction on current expenses for 
more than 1,000,000,000 lire, following thus 
the policy of thrift adopted by the Italian 
Government; in such a way it is possible to 
effect a further reduction in the deficit. 

The financial strength and progressive 
advance toward complete reconstruction 
which this shows will give to those inter- 
ested in Italy complete assurance that there 
will be no failure on the part of Italy of 
the energies needful to the mastery of her 
reconstruction work. 



Lest We Forget 



Let us remember that Italy mobilized and equipped 
over 5,000,000 fighting men. When Russia crum- 
bled, Italy struck Austria so hard that Germany was 
forced to send help, so relieving her hard pressed al- 
lies on the western front. 

Italy sent 250,000 soldiers to France, where they 
fought for over two years — until the armistice. 

Italy sent 250,000 soldiers to Albania against the 
invasion of the Austrians. 

Italy sent 60,000 soldiers to the support of the Al- 
lied armies in Macedonia when the Bulgars and 
Turks were crushed. 

Italy sent 40,000 soldiers to the support of Gen- 
eral Allenby and his British forces in the Palestine 
campaign. 

Italy sent 250,000 construction men to France, 
where they labored behind the lines for two years 
till victory was assured. 

Italy rescued over 100,000 Serbian soldiers and 
Serbian civilians from the Austrian drive; took them 
to Italy in her own ships, and fed and clothed them 
from her own meager stores. 

In October, 1918, in the greatest military victory 
in all history, Italy crushed Austro-Hungary, Ger- 
many's principal ally, forced her unconditional sur- 
render of over a million fighting men, 6,000 cannon 
and enormous military supplies, determining Ger- 
many's collapse on the western front. Italy was 
opposed by over 100 divisions of Austrians, Germans 
and Turks and was aided by two divisions of Eng- 
lish, one of French, one of Czecho-Slovaks and the 
332nd Regiment of Americans. 

Italy was the only warring nation who called to 
her colors all her available manhood. 

Italy was the only warring nation, not excluding 
Germany, that had her 19-year-old youths under 
arms for one year. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 151 

Italy was the only warring nation that had her 18- 
year-old youths on the firing line since May, 1918, 
before the Piave. 

Italy was the only warring nation that called out 
her 17-year-old youths. 

Italy, at the time she entered the war, was a na- 
tion of 38,000,000 against Austria's 54,000,000. 
Austria had 20 more divisions than Italy, and be it 
remembered that Austria's division is a larger one 
than an Italian division. Austria had 3,000 more 
artillery pieces than Italy. She had, not only a 
superiority in numbers, but her artillery is consid- 
ered technically superior. Austria had the vast ad- 
vantage of position. 

A great deal has been said about the support that 
Italy received from the Allies, but I am frank to say 
that insofar as the military assistance given to her 
is concerned she practically shifted for herself, with 
the exception of three British divisions, two French 
divisions and one United States regiment consisting 
of 3,600 men. On the other hand Italy maintained 
in France a whole army corps, which was greater by 
far than the combined allied divisions fighting on 
the Italian front. This army corps comprised the 
picked troops of the Italian army, and gave unex- 
celled proof of their valor at the battle of Rheims. 

Italy in normal times has always been the one 
least given to employing women in the industrial 
field. For this reason, it is remarkable that in May, 
1917, the number of Italian women taking the place 
of men in war work amounted to 120,000 and grew 
steadily during the war. The number of women 
wage earners grew from the 2,500,000 of pre-war 
days to 5,000,000. The women of the world have 
great reason to feel proud of the contribution of the 
Italian women to the war. 

Italy's total loss in killed and wounded was 
figures, were almost as many soldiers, man for man, 
as the British, and compared to population she lost 
as great a percentage as France, and twelve times as 
many as Great Britain and America combined. 

Italy's total loss in killed and wounded was 
1,977,000, and of the wounded, more than 500,000 



152 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

were totally disabled. The official figures of Allied 
losses follow: 

Per 
Population Dead Cent 

France and Colonies 87,000,000 1,071,300 1.2 

England and Colonies 430,000,000 658,704 0.15 

United States and Colonies 105,000,000 58,478 0.05 
Italy and Colonies 38,000,000 560,000 1.4 

Italy lost on the French front, 2,391 dead and 
6,886 wounded. Italy lost in men of her navy, 
killed, 3169, and 309 totally disabled. 

Italy lost 61 ships in her naval operations, i. e., 
5 battleships, 6 auxiliary battleships, 6 torpedo boats, 
8 submarines, 8 destroyers, 8 cruisers, 4 mine drags 
and other miscellaneous ships. 

Italy suffered a loss of over half of her merchant 
marine. The advance of Italy in trade with the 
world in imports and exports had so increased up 
to the time of the war that her merchant marine 
could carry less than half of any other allies. The 
official figures follow : 

Total Tonnage Per 

Merchant Ships Lost Cent 

England 18,356,000 7,825,598 42.63 

France 2,300,000 908,068 39.44 

Italy 1,530,000 880,000 57.52 

I feel that Italy well deserved the commendation 
so well put by the late Theodore Eoosevelt on May 
24, 1918: 

"I take this opportunity to pay homage to the 
high valor and lofty idealism that Italy has shown 
in this great struggle for humanity and civilization 
against Germany and her vassal confederate states, 
Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey. I most earnestly 
hope that Italy will be able to round out the great 
work of Victor Emanuel, Cavour, Mazzini and Gari- 
baldi, and that the Italian speaking provinces of 
Austria will take their natural places in the Italian 

Kingdom Our country owes a deep debt 

of gratitude to Italy for what she has done, and I 
earnestly hope that we shall pay this debt as gener- 
ously as possible, and in as fine a spirit as Italy her- 
self has shown. ' ' 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 163 

Appendix 
(Translation of letter given to Senator Cotillo, by 
Premier Orlando, before his departure from Italy.) 

The President of the Council of Ministers 

Rome, September 10, 1918. 
Honorable Senator: — 

Before you leave Italy I want to send you again a 
cordial word of approval and of thanks for what you 
have done during your visit here in a work of propa- 
ganda highly efficient and deeply appreciated: a 
propaganda which could not possibly have been car- 
ried on with more enthusiasm and for the purpose 
of making the real conditions of Italy known to the 
great American nation. I am particularly gratified 
that your work, truly inspired by a deep feeling of 
affection for Italy, has been especially carried on in 
those regions where civilization is less advanced, as 
in the southern part of Italy and in the islands. I 
am convinced that no man could study the condi- 
tions and the spirit of those regions with a more 
acute sense of observation and at the same time with 
a more sincere feeling of sympathy for Italy. 

Now, at the time of your departure you do me the 
honor of asking some suggestion for your future 
work. After what you have observed and studied 
there is no suggestion that I could give you. I am 
sure that in returning to America with an increased 
affection towards your country of origin, you will 
make, by your authority and enthusiasm, known in 
that great country the aims for which Italy has en- 
tered the world conflict ; you will explain the condi- 
tion and the intention of the Italian people, who, 
in spite of the greatest difficulties and the bitterest 
sacrifices, are decided and firmly decided to con- 
tinue to fight by the side of our allies until victory 
is achieved; you will tell with what feeling of sym- 
pathy, solidarity, I would even say fraternity, our 
people receives the mighty contribution that the 
American people are making for this immense strug- 
gle, in which they have come, not only with their 
power, but, what is more important, with the noble 
and generous blood of their children. 



154 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

Great and profound has been at all times the ad- 
miration of the Italians for the United States of 
America, in which they have seen the hospitable 
land of human liberty; the present war cannot but 
strengthen now and forever the friendship and admi- 
ration that binds the two countries across the ocean. 

All this you certainly feel as well as I ; our hearts 
are moved by the same feeling. You have only to 
communicate to your fellow citizens the feeling and 
the love which is in your heart ; in this manner you 
will have worthily served both your country of or- 
igin and your country of adoption and will have con- 
tributed to make possible a better future for both 
countries. 

I trust that you will carry on this work and I 
therefore renew to you my thanks and I follow you 
with my best wishes, my sympathy and my friend- 
ship. 

Accept my kindest regards and believe me with 
sincere esteem, 

Yours truly, 
(Signed) Orlando. 



8. E. Guglielmo Marconi, 

Senator e Del Regno d'Ualla, Cosi' Scrive: 

31, Via Garibaldi, Gianicolo 

Rome, September 3rd, 1918. 
State Senator Salvatore A. Cotillo, Regina Carlton 

Hotel, Via Veneto, Rome. 
My dear Senator: 

I have followed with deep interest the accounts 
given in the newspapers of the lectures which you 
have delivered in the whole of the Southern prov- 
inces of Italy and in Sicily with a view to acquaint- 
ing our Southern populations with what Amreica 
has done for the prosecution of the war. I can as- 
sure you that your work of propaganda has been 
deeply appreciated by myself as well as by all Ital- 
ian thinkers and politicians. 

I know very well the wonderful work that the 
United States has accomplished in this first year 
of their participation in the war and anything that 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 155 

tends to make our people, and especially that part 
of them which lives in the South and which furnishes 
such great numbers of workers and citizens to the 
United States, realize the importance and magni- 
tude of the efforts which America is making to help 
us to win a conclusive victory, is worthy of deep ad- 
miration and all possible encouragement. Trust- 
ing that you will continue to be successful in the 
work which you have undertaken, believe me, 
Yours very truly, 
(Signed) G. Marconi. 



(Translation of letter from Minister of Propaganda, 

at Rome, to Senator Cotillo before his departure 

from Italy.) 
Commissary General for Civil Assistance and Internal 
Propaganda. 

Rome, September 18, 1918. 
Hon. Senator and Friend: — 

As you are leaving our country, consent that I ex- 
press my most heartfelt gratitude for the magnificent 
propaganda work which you have accomplished and 
of which the echo has come from one hundred dif- 
ferent parts. 

I am very sorry that you have to return to Amer- 
ica. I lose a precious co-worker who has been able 
to raise in all Southern Italy, a sense of sure faith 
in the success of our undertaking; that you have 
been able to raise to its highest pitch the sentiment 
of patriotism which animates the Southern popula- 
tion, who have learned from the voice of a repre- 
sentative of the Great North American Republic the 
inestimable contribution that she has brought and 
will bring for the triumph of the common cause. 

May my most fervid well wishes accompany you 
in the great country to which you go, expression of 
the well wishes of the populations, who had the 
pleasure of hearing your vibrant voice and who hope 
to see you soon. 

A strong handshake from, 

Your devoted and affectionate 
(Signed) Comandini. 



156 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

(Translation of letter from His Excellency, Romeo 
Gallenga, Under Secretary of State, at Rome, to 
Senator Cotillo before his departure from Italy.) 

Undersecretary's Office 

Rome, September 20, 1918. 
Dear Senator : — 

We separate, because you are leaving Italy, in this 
fatidical 20th day of September, in which every 
Italian heart rejoices in the celebration of the united 
country against all tyrannies. For this reason my 
greeting to you seems as much inspired by the coun- 
try's love which is common in both of us; that in 
your soul sounds great sweetness the voice of the 
Latin race which you honor with your noble activity, 
on this and on the other side of the ocean; and in 
my soul increases the admiration for the generous 
American people, highest interpreter, with its glo- 
rious works of the ideals by which all free men to- 
day are animated. 

Thanks then, my good and valorous friend, for the 
holy work which you have completed during your 
but brief stay among us ; thanks for the strong faith 
with which you have offered the vivifying breath of 
your Great Country; thanks for the love which you 
bear to Italy. Men, like you are, represent a great 
and quick power for the Entente in war; and this 
promises to be the cement which will unite without 
fear of snares of the enemy, the free peoples at the 
completion of the war. 

The fighters of the Trentino and the Piave, the 
workers of our cities and our fields thank you. The 
dead of the Carso and of the Isonzo bless you, wait- 
ing for the unfailing revendication. 

Have me, dear Senator, now and forever for your 
Affectionate 
(Signed) Romeo Gallenga. 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 157 

(Translation of telegram received from G. Cassola, 
President of the Press Syndicate at Eome, Italy, 
to Senator Cotillo.) 

GARZIA CASSOLA, 

President of the Syndicate of Reporters of Italian 

Newspapers. 
Senator Cotillo, Hotel Regina, Rome : 

Return cordial greetings of all my colleagues who 
followed with sympathy work by you nobly com- 
pleted during your sojourn in Italy. You have 
known our country in its reality and have had tes- 
timonies of all of the admiration and friendship that 
they have here for the great America that freely 
wanted to write its own destiny to ours. We wish 
that among our countries, stronger become the bonds 
during the war, and after, and we confide in you 
sure interpreter and fervid propagandist of these 
sentiments. 

Garzia Cassola. 



George Creel, Chairman 
The Secretary of State 
The Secretary of War 
The Secretary of the Navy 

Committee on Public Information, 
Washington, D. C. 

October 28, 1918. 

Honorable S. A. Cotillo, the Senate of the State of 
New York, Albany, N. Y. 

My dear Senator Cotillo : — 

Reports from Italy continue to bear heavily upon 
the important results of your work. Your speeches, 
made from one end of Italy to the other, brought 
home the objects, aims, and ideals of America in 
splendid fashion, stiffening the morale of the Ital- 
ian people and bringing them into closer and more 
understanding contact with the United States. You 
made this contribution to the national service even 
more significant as you gave your time without com- 
pensation, and gave it despite ail the dangers and 
discomforts of traveling, cheerfully and courageous- 



158 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 

ly, asking no reward, with the consciousness of hav- 
ing served. 

The President, who follows our foreign and edu- 
cational work very closely, has asked me to express 
to you his own warm appreciation of your effective 
and unselfish effort in Italy. 
Believe me, 

Very sincerely, 

George Creel, Chairman. 



S. E. Conte Macchi di Cellere,* 

R. Ambasciatore Italiano, a Washington, Cosi' Scrive. 

Eegia Ambasciata d 'Italia, October 24, 1918. 

My dear Senator Cotillo: 

I wish to thank you for your successful mission 
to Italy and for the most effective work you have 
done to accumulate information about the condi- 
tions existing there. The exceptional opportunities 
which you have had and which you have taken ad- 
vantage of to their fullest extent will put you in a 
position to give to the American public an accurate 
and complete survey of the Italian situation which 
cannot fail to be of the greatest importance to both 
the United States and to Italy. 

With cordial good wishes, believe me, my dear 
Senator Cotillo, 

Very sincerely yours, 

(Signed) Macchi Di Cellere. 



Senator Salvatore A. Cotillo, 
Albany, New York, 
* Deceased. 



S. E. Thomas Nelson Page, 
Ambasciatore Americano a Roma, Cosi' Scrive. 
American Embassy, Rome, 

September 23rd, 1918. 
My dear Senator Cotillo : 

I regret very much having been away during the 
latter part of your work here in Italy. I was able, 
however, to observe the excellent work you did be- 



ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 159 

fore I went away and have been kept informed of 
your success. I wish now to take this occasion to 
express to you my sincere appreciation of the ser- 
vices you have rendered to our common cause by 
your addresses to the Italian people, bringing to their 
apprehension the part that America is playing in 
the war and the sympathy that we have with the 
people of Italy. There is no doubt that your efforts 
here, inspired by your patriotism and zeal, have 
tended to draw even closer together the Italian and 
American peoples and to inspire that mutual confi- 
dence and regard between them which is so desira- 
ble from every point of view. 

Hoping that this will convey to you the great 
esteem in which I hold the services you have ren- 
dered, I am, Sir, 

Very cordially yours, 
(Signed) Thomas Nelson Page. 

Hon. Salvatore Cotillo, 

Senator of the State of New York. 



